Scarves and Scars
by Jazzxprowl4ever
Summary: Samantha Pond is starting her first year as a teacher. As the new science teacher at U.A. She's out of her element when all she has done since school was hero work. Sam is finding teaching difficult, especially since the school is in Japan, and she however is from England. Sam has the help of her new colleagues to get back on her feet and gain a new family at U.A.
1. The New Teacher

Samantha Pond sighed as she sat in the empty conference room. She was the first one to arrive. She had always been punctual. For school to her time in London as a heroine. Her motto was 'five minutes earlier was still late'. Twenty minutes early. That gave her time to collect herself and her satchel. It also gave her time to sip on and enjoy her coffee. Tea never took her fancy, coffee kept her alert except this American tea that had far more caffeine than coffee but she didn't have that.

She took this job with hesitant hands. It was a great opportunity but she had to move away from her home in England. She eventually accepted that teaching would be the next chapter in her life and took up the position. Sam was one of two teachers that were starting at U.A, this year. Her and All Might. The symbol of peace and justice. All Might and little ole Militia.

Militia is her hero name, she was popular in Europe and in the States but never saw the reason to set up shop in Japan. Especially when most of the top tier pro heroes have their agencies set up all about Japan. It seemed like a fools errand. Her quirk was unique. Weapons. She could create weapons and armor at will. Guns to swords. Daggers to claymores. Armor that could survive apocalyptic situations or armor that aided her endurance. Militia was the perfect hero name for her. London had once dubbed her; Militia, the one woman army. Sam was quite proud of that. She even had tea with the queen on most Sundays which was still a honored thing. The queen doesn't have tea with every aspiring hero. Still she was no match for All Might as the school's gossip, Sam was fine with that. He could have the spot light, she didn't want it.

The summer previous, she'd packed up her small apartment on the river and moved to Japan. Chemistry, Biology, Forensics, Physics and General Science were her subjects to teach at U.A. and she had a classroom and a adjoined laboratory at her disposal. That gave her the whole summer to set up her room. To add her own personal touches, familiarize herself the the schools' grounds and set up a teaching program for her classes. Sam thought that U.A. had way too much money that they blew on everything. It was almost ridiculous but all things considered, they were teaching the next generation of heroes.

"Oh! Hello, Sammy!" A chirpy voice yelled. She winced, so long quiet. Present Mic was a nice guy, extremely social but really loud. When Sam first met him, he didn't call her; Sam or Samantha or even Ms. Pond. Just Sammy, only Sammy. Hizashi Yamada or Yamada Hizashi was quite a character. Sam still wasn't used to the naming ways of Japan.

"Hello, Yamada." Sam smiled, pushing burgundy curls out of her face.

He frowned. "Hey, call me Hizashi! We are friends, now."

"Alright... Hizashi." Sam said, trying very hard not to mispronounce his name.

"Aww, Shouta! Hear how cute she says my name? I love your accent, Sammy my dear!" Hizashi laughed, throwing a arm around the baffled woman. Sam turned to spot the dark dressed man. A extremely long scarf was wrapped around his neck that doubled as his capture weapon. Shouta had long dark hair that was wavy and unkempt. Scruff framed a serious, pale mouth. He didn't seem like he was a pro hero. Burgundy eyes flew to the dark haired man for help. Sam blushed, a dark scarlet spreading across pale cheeks in shame.

"Did I say it wrong?" She mumbled, hating her fat tongue for it's inability to speak properly.

"No, no." Hizashi waved her off. "I like how you say it. It sounds foreign."

"No, it doesn't." Aizawa Shouta spoke up, interrupting his college form his unintentional harassment. Wavy dark hair framing, sleepless dark eyes. Showing pity for his new college. "You'll get used to it." He continued to Samantha, only slightly reassuring the woman.

"Yours is easier." Sam admitted. "Aizawa Shouta." She pronounced, it was a lot better than Hizashi. "My students are going to hate me and it's the very first day." She growled, miserably. The name sounded right in her head but speaking it, it didn't work out so well. It was a failure.

"Shouta is just fine." He said, Hizashi giggled as he took a seat next to Sam's. The two eyed the blonde. "They'll have to be patient with you. Plus, detention can fix that." Shouta took the seat next to hers, setting a cup of coffee down in front of him.

Sam laughed. "I can't use detention as a threat for butchering my students' names."

"You can." Hizashi said, "He does!"

"Are those bad boys bothering you, my darling." A silky voice cooed. Sam turned her chair to look at Kayama Nemuri but was met with a chest. A very big chest in her face. "Mama Nemuri can take care of those naughty men."

"Ah!" Sam cried out and spun back to the table. "Um, no thanks! No thank you, Nemuri!" Bring a cup to her lips, desperately trying to hide her burning face.

"The only one that's naughty here is you, Midnight." Shouta drawled, a smirk was tugging on his lips at her expense. She scowled at him.

She chuckled, leaning foreword to grab a donut from the center plate. Leaning over a still blushing Sam. A Sam that was growing redder and redder by the second. "Oh, how I do love sweet things." She grabbed a red iced donut, taking a sensual bite. A pink tongue flicking out to catch the stray icing left on her glossy lips. "Don't you, Samantha?"

"N-no." Sam sputtered, denying the truth even with a half eaten donut sitting in front of her on a paper plate. She prayed to be smited her to end her suffering.

"I like a little spice too." Nemuri purred in Sam's ear as she pulled away and sashayed over to the other side of the table to chat with Cementoss. Sam gagged on her coffee as it traveled down the wrong pipe.

"Shit." She cursed in English. Hizashi patted her back, still laughing at her expense. His laugh was loud and very noticeable. "She's more extreme than James." Sam coughed.

"Nemuri does that to everyone, she takes sadistic pleasure in making you uncomfortable." Shouta said, pouring more coffee into his cup. How many cups was that? Sam wondered, in only a short time! That had to be unhealthy! Samantha thought in awe. The woman shook herself and looked away. Toshinori waved at Sam, looking concerned. "It's her way of welcoming you to the staff."

Sam waved back, still trying to catch her breath. "Menace." She growled to a smiling Nemuri, she looked like the cat that ate the canary and the fish. She spotted a godawful mustard suit that was 15 sizes too big for man who wore it. He was tall and skinny, he had bright blonde hair. It was mostly unkempt and wild, he had two long blonde bangs that hung in his face. Shadows covered his eyes but you could still see the brilliant, electric blue irises that practically glowed. "Hello, Toshinori! Ah! I like your name, It's cute!" The skinny man in question turned bright red and started coughing up blood.

"Hey, Samantha." He choked, Sam's eyes widened in alarm. She still wasn't used to All Might to looking like this nor his habit of coughing up blood when embarrassed. "And... thank you?"

"Oh, sorry! I'm still working on my pronunciation." Sam smiled, a dazzling smile as she passed him a napkin from the pile next to the donuts. She liked Toshinori; him as All Might and as Yagi Toshinori. He was sweet and kind and a bit of a dork. A lot of a dork, but a very lovable dork. Sam would hate to admit but he melted her heart when she first met him. She could get a cavity from his unintentional sweetness.

"It was very good. I think you shouldn't have any issues." He said, recovering from his fit of coughs. Toshinori smiled, kindly at Sam. Her heart melted, some more.

Shouta and Hizashi traded looks. "You'll have issues, Sammy but don't fret! We are here." Shouta coughed up, a chuckle. He managed to hide it into the cup of coffee.

Sam smacked Hizashi's arm, getting ready to scold the vocal hero on his teasing but was interrupted by the principal. "Welcome to a new year, teachers!" Nezu called and the standing teachers took their seats and the room quietened. She watched as the large white mouse took the center of the large U shape conference table. Dress very nicely in a three piece suit. "We have been lucky to gain two new teachers to join our staff. All Might and Militia."

"Hello, everyone."

"I look forward to working with you all!" Sam smiled as she bowed her head to her new colleges.

"We have a busy year ahead us, so let's do our best! You all are dismissed to your classes. Don't forget about orientation at 9!" Sam blanched, that was it? That was kind of short and too the point.

"I think Nezu was talking about you, Shouta." Hizashi rolled his eyes.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Mic."

"Huh?" Sam blinked at Hizashi, only seeing her own reflection in his sunglasses.

"Aizawa Sensei here has expelled 154 students over the years. Most on the very first day!" Hizashi answered in the most posh tone he could muster. "I think it's a record!"

Sam's eyebrows rose as she turned to the standing Shouta, almost for confirmation. "Really?" She asked as he headed for the door.

"Yeah."

"Damn." Sam whistled.

"Oi, Aizawa! Drinks tonight." Nemuri called, Shouta made a noise of agreement. "All Might! Samantha! It's a tradition amongst the teachers to go out drinking at Capes at the beginning of the school year. Don't make me hunt you down." Nemuri shot a wink to a flustered All Might and Sam.

"Alright. You better be able to hold your liquor, Nemuri." Sam spoke with a light, teasing tone. She rebounded, quickly and parred Nemuri with a retort. She was really confident in her ability to drink. You had to be to live amongst London's finest heroes. She stood with finality, finishing her coffee. "I'll see you all at orientation." Samantha walked down to her class. Sam sighed, she turned to the white board. There she wrote out her name and her hero name in blue.

Sam had requested a white board when she first arrived, black board was too old fashioned for her tastes. She hated the feeling and noise of chalk writing on a black board. Nezu granted that request, it wasn't like the school didn't have the money for it. So, her request was granted, easily.

A sheet of paper rested on the desk. Her desk, she corrected. Sam quickly scanned the paper. It looked like she didn't have a homeroom, this period was her grace period. That was actually really nice, that could give her the extra time to grade papers if she hadn't bothered the night before.

"Not bad." A deep voice comment, Sam jumped a throwing knife materialize in her hand. Burgundy eyes recognized Shouta's slouched form at her door. He leaned against the metal framing with his hands shoved in his pockets. His dark eyes narrowed at the sight of her conjured blade but he didn't act on it. Sam banished the blade without a second thought, feeling shame creep on her. "You are going to have to get used too uninvited guests." He mused, still eyeing her open hand.

"Yeah, I am." Sam admitted, letting out a long sigh. The shame still growing. "How troublesome." She leaned back against her desk, holding the spare piece of paper in one and the other smoothing her black pencil skirt. She could've sworn she saw a piece of lent or a stray thread in need of plucking.

"Or you can scare some sense into them." He suggested, his dark gaze sweeping Sam's desk with an assortment of nick-nacks to her white board that already had several points written in a plethora of colors. She liked the colors, it always helped her while she was in school and hopefully her students as well. "Do most of us teachers a favor."

"I could do that too." Sam mused, her eyes twinkled in amusement. "Always say it's training."

A steady rhythm rang through the air and Sam sent an apologetic look to Shouta and she fished the offending phone out of her pocket. It was James. He could wait, she decided as she hit ignore. Sam placed it on her desk. "Aren't you apart of the hero course? Do you have a homeroom?" She inquired, red brows furrowing together.

"I do." He let out a sigh that sounded slightly dramatic. Who was more dramatic? Shouta or Hizashi? Hizashi was more dramatic by far but Shouta was stuble in his drama and didn't do it as often. So, when he was dramatic, it took everyone off guard. Sam giggled at the thought. "Good luck on your first day, Samantha. My new homeroom class will be your first class of the day."

"Sam." She corrected on muscle reflex. "Let me know how they are?" Sam asked, a smile tugging at her lips. She wasn't confident in the skeptical look Shouta sent her but that made it fun. He gave a half hearted wave and exited her class. "Well, now I have an hour to waste until orientation." Sam spoke to an empty room. She reached for her coffee, finishing it in one gulp and snatched her phone off her desk.

James could keep Sam occupied and keep her mind off the inevitable. Sam scrolled and hit his contact, she brought the phone to her ear. "I could've been dying." James said on the second ring.

Sam laughed, making her way out of her classroom. "No. You would've text me." She answered, wandering the halls of U.A. James Rogers was another British pro hero. His hero name was his real name. James never cared for alias. Wasn't much of a fighter either but he was brilliant. His quirk was deduction. It made it impossible to lie to him. James specialized in homicide and occasionally worked with the military with terrorist cells. He was a long time friend of hers, Sam's known him since she gained her pro hero license.

The other side of the line was silent. "Okay, you got me there, Sam." James relented. "Aren't you supposed to be teaching?"

"Grace period, you have me until orientation at 0900."

"So, an hour? With you? I'm swooning." James deciphered. "How are you feeling, love?"

"Good." She sighed, "Better than I have been in a while. How are you? And your hero work, James?"

"No deflecting, Sam." Sam could hear him tsk from the other line. Sometimes, she hated his quirk with a burning passion. She could never keep a secret from him that made surprise parties and presents, troublesome.

"I'm managing. It'll take time to get use to all of this." Sam admitted with a frown tugging her lips down. The burgundy haired woman made her way to the teachers' lounge where she begun to pace the room. "But this will be good for me in the long haul."

"Fantastic! Now, we can get down to the main event! So, get this-"

Sam spent the next fifty minutes chatting with a very chatty James. She wasn't sure if he was talking for her sake or his but it was more than welcomed. She was so absorbed in her conversation that she didn't notice the approaching figure. She laughed at a particularly corny joke and nearly jumped out of her skin the next when a large hand landed on her shoulder. She gasped, a curved blade materialized in her fist. Her index finger slotted itself in the hole at the hilt. The figure removed his hand and held it up in surrender.

"Hey, Samantha." Toshinori said in a soothing tone, his blue eyes watched her with concern. "You are safe here, no one will harm you. ."

"Damnit." Sam cussed, banishing that blade. She brought the hand to her chest to slow the rapid beating of her heart. "I know, I'm sorry." She whispered. Toshinori said that with finality like no one really would harm her if he could help it. She believed him. She tried to steel herself but her nerves wouldn't obey. Toshinori reached a large hand and placed it on her shoulder, grounding her. She was indeed safe.

"Sam! Samantha Elizabeth Pond!" The speaker shrieked. Sam frowned, she didn't have a middle name and did he have to be so loud? Present Mic would be jealous of the range of that man's voice.

Sam hit the speaker. "I'm fine, James. I keeping jumping at nothing, talk to you after work." She said, shortly and hung up as he started to retort. "I'm really sorry, Toshinori. It's just that I'm used to London."

He gave her a doubtful look and she hastily backpedaled. "I worked a security detail the last couple months I lived in London. A terrorist cell was targeting a member of the royal family. I kinda had to jump at shadows while on that mission." She answered, sheepishly. "Sorry."

"It's fine," he dismissed it, removing his hand. "I didn't know that you were one of few that guarded the queen?" He inquired, worry still lingered in his gaze.

Sam's eyes widened. "Yeah, I did. Most people don't have that knowledge. Of the threat to the royal family. My friend, James is still advising their security detail." The red eyed woman ran a hand through her dark red locks. He was the world's number one hero, so him having that information shouldn't have been surprising. "I suppose it's time for orientation?"

"Yeah, it is." Toshinori nodded, letting her jumpiness drop. "They're holding it in the auditorium." He stepped aside, allowing her to take the lead. Sam smiled and stepped out of the lounge. She stopped and turned to watch a puff of smoke billow out into the hall. She let out a snort as All Might stepped out and joined her. His mere presence calmed Sam and soothed her racked nerves.

There was only one word that she could use to describe All Might's hero form. Muscle. Muscle on muscle on muscle. It wasn't unattractive like some body builders could look. Too many steroids, too many veins or even too many muscles. His look was all natural and looked good.

Sam looked to All Might. "You first?" She asked, nervously. This was a first for both of them, Toshinori could have the spot light for both of them. Toshinori seemed to understand and smiled that wide, blinding smile.

"Alright!"


	2. In The Name of Science

A/N: I understand the using of last names but I think that the teachers understand Sam's culture, they use first names primarily. Hizashi is Hizashi but Shouta sympathizes in his own way and tries to make her comfortable.

The orientation was extremely painful and needlessly long. Samantha hated every second of it. Sam didn't like public speaking, she could do it but that didn't mean she wanted to. Sam would've enjoyed to spend several hours discussing theories and laws but not this. So, Sam did the bare minimum and it worked. The students cared more about All Might being a teacher than her. Sam was ever so grateful. She sat next to him in the line of chairs for the teachers. She remained quiet, scanning the students.

Nezu gave a long winded speech, welcoming new students and encouraging returning students after he introduced All Might and Sam to the students. He briefly touched upon rules and regulations of U.A. and how they would not be infringed. Sam had noted with amusement that Shouta hadn't turned up. She and Hizashi had exchanged amused looks when they noticed that, Nezu's suggestion was unheard to the erasing hero.

Nezu wrapped it up and turned the orientation to Present Mic who was eager and enthusiastic. He explained the multitude of courses and what they entailed. The loud hero brushed over the classes that U.A. Had to offer. Hizashi kept an upbeat air about the auditorium, the air itself felt alive. He led them through each event with ease and excitement. The orientation dragged on for about an hour and a half before the students were dismissed to their second class of the day.

Sam had ducked out of the auditorium with a waving hand as she hurried to her next class. She jogged down the hall, the best she could in five inch heels. The late bell rang but she knew it wasn't correct. The assembly dragged on a tad bit too long. If she was quick, she could beat her students. By the time she arrived to her door her calfs hated her. The muscles burned in exertion. Sam was lucky to only tripped twice in her speed run. The burgundy haired woman paused, dusting herself off and gathering her breath. "Damnit." She panted. "Let's do this."

Sam dragged the door open to find her students in their seats. She blinked. Oh! They were Shouta's students! He wasn't at the orientation, so it made perfect sense for his students to not have been in the auditorium and for them to have a head start on her. The chatter died down as forty eyes turned to face her. "Aizawa Sensei didn't give me any slack on my first day, huh?" Sam said, a nervous smile forming on her lips. A few equally nervous laughs erupted throughout the class. Looking out at the twenty faces that stared back. "Good morning, class. I am Samantha Pond. You can call me, Pond Sensei." She spoke, pouring power into her voice. She made her way to the center of the room. Several voices started to talk and she held out a hand for silence strengthened by a firm glare. Sam was slightly surprised when they obeyed, Nemuri's advice was sound.

Most of her class echoed her greeting. "I will be a constant presence in your academic life same as your homeroom teacher, Aizawa. I'll be your science teacher for the next three years." Sam paused, "if some of you decided, I'll become your teacher for multiple classes." She scanned the room, her gaze skipping over their heads. Burgundy eyes keeping a tally. There were nineteen kids. There were supposed to be twenty. Well, shit. That wasn't a good thing and it was the first day. Her first day. "I count twenty one , not twenty two. Who's missing?"

A tall raven haired boy stood with a polite bow. He pushed up his dark framed glasses and said. "Midoriya Izuku was injured during our quirk assessment. He will be a bit late to class."

Sam furrowed her eyebrows at him, Shouta gave a quirk assessment test? Is that where he expelled all those students. "Okay, he shouldn't miss much for the first half of class. Your name?"

"Iida Tenya." He answered and sat back down.

"Iida Tenya." Sam repeated, testing the name. "Forgive me if I mispronounce your names. It'll take time for me to learn how to pronounce them correctly. I have scheduled time for me to get to know you and vice verse. If you have a question, you will stand, say your name and ask me your question."

A perky brunette stood, it seemed as if she had a permanent blush on her cheeks. She sat next to Iida. "My name is Uraraka Ochaco! Where are you from, Sensei?"

Sam frowned, her brow creasing with focus. Well, that was a somewhat difficult question. Difficult in he fact that she didn't know. "I honestly don't know where I was born. I was raised in London and recently moved from London to here." She stated. "What are you looking forward to in my class, Uraraka?" She inquired, peering at the now blushing girl that she had just put on spot.

"Um... Experiments, Sensei." Uraraka ducked her head and sat. "I really like experimenting."

Sam smiled, apologetically to the petite girl but she enjoyed her response. "Sorry, This is going to be a trade. I give you information about myself and you to me."

"It's alright, Sensei." She chirped. "I wasn't expecting that." Sam's smile widened.

Another girl stood, she sat towards the back of her classroom. Her dark hair was pulled high in a ponytail that was set off to the side. Her long bangs were brushed to the opposite side, intelligent eyes shined at Sam. "My name is Yaoyorozu Momo. Will there be an assessment test or any test today?"

Sam pursed her lips, she found that strange. When she was in school, she avoided test like the plague even if she had the ability to ace the test. Tests were dull and Sam tended to fidget during written portions. "No? Do you want one?"

"NO!" Her class shouted back and she stared, bewildered. What did Shouta do? Sam didn't have time to interrogate her new students as someone knocked on her door. A green haired boy entered her classroom after his timid knock.

"Midoriya?" Sam called.

He nodded. "I'm so sorry, I'm late." Midoriya gave her a bow.

"It's fine. Your classmate explained to me, what had happened in your homeroom." Sam brushed his apology off and gestured to the only open seat left. "We're doing a QA, feel free to ask whatever comes to mind."

Midoriya hurried to his seat, whispering to Uraraka and Iida. He glanced at the board and his eyes widened. He stood, sharply. "You're Militia! The Queen's One Woman Army! Oh, wow! Could you talk about the Jack the Ripper case?" He asked, in rapid succession. His emerald eyes shining with keen interest and a eagerness to learn.

Sam blinked, shocked. He took no time to ask a question.

Jack the Ripper wasn't a case she could think about, fondly. Sam avoided thinking about anything related to that case. Thinking about the case, it agitated her and with a quirk like hers. It was never wise to agitate her. The cold blooded murderer sent chills up and down her spine. The London Terror had been the bane of her existence for several years of her life. He was the copycat killer of the original Jack the Ripper back in 1888. However, instead of the minuscule five known murders of the original; this copycat Jack had killed an upward two hundred women in the span of ten or so years. Sam was put in charge of spearheading the investigation by the Queen when Jack had been active for a good six years. After that, it took Samantha four years to outwit the white chapel murderer. Four years and Jack had made the case very personal for Samantha despite that, the Queen kept her on the case. After that incident, vengeance fueled her and Sam outwitted Jack the Ripper. Her greatest victory and her infamous success in the England's eyes.

Vengeance burned an icy hole in the heart. The darkness that filled the hole whispered words that fueled the raging hatred. Vengeance, Sam reflected was a cold creature but ever so satisfying when achieved. Or so, that's how the story goes. The bastard had gotten away but Sam had managed to mortally wound the psychopath. Jack the Ripper hadn't killed since that incident, three years ago but he was still breathing. Sam knew it. No more killings and no Jack, the case had been declared cold and been abandoned.

Sam shoved those dark thoughts away into a dark corner of her mind and nodded, cheerfully. "Sure, what do you want to know?" Within reason, Sam added, silently.

"Is the Ripper still alive?"

Sam paused. "There are many who believe that the Ripper died at my hand, three years ago." She began, slowly and softly. Her alto voice was easily carried across the room. "Many of my colleges choose those false truths over the one horrific but true fact. I didn't kill him, almost but not quiet... Jack the Ripper slipped away. I like to think that I damaged him so much and he couldn't kill anyone, anymore. That he was crippled and unable to take another life." Samantha murmured and her class was hanging on her every word with keen interest. "Midoriya, my turn. What do you think of your homeroom teacher, Mr. Aizawa?" What could she say? Curiosity killed the cat but satisfaction always brought it back.

The boy blinked at her, still absorbing the information giving to him and blushed. Uraraka leaned over and whispered something in Midoriya's ear. "Um, Aizawa Sensei is harsh but he does that to push us past our limits." He answered, and sat back into his seat.

Five students shot up. Sam rose her eyebrows, she had them hooked. "Yes?" She gestured to the pinkette with cute horns curling atop her wild hair.

"I'm Ashido Mina! What's it like in London? Do you know the Queen?" She said with a giggle and a beaming grin. "Is she cool? Or does she have a stick stuck up her?"

Treason, her head sang at her. "Not every British folk knows the Queen, personally but I am one of the few that do. She's a quite character, alright. London can be really miserable at times. I don't miss it if that's what you're asking." Sam smiled back to the outgoing student. "What are your aspirations while at U.A.?"

"I wanna have fun and be the best, Sensei!" Ashido chimed, her voice like a silver bell and she sat back down in her seat.

"That's all of the QA for today." Groans of students that wanted to hear about 'The Ripper'. "Maybe, we'll do more in the future but for now! Lab safety! You don't like it but it's a necessary evil." Sam grinned at the chorus of groans.

Samantha chuckled. "Luckily enough..." Her students perked at that, hoping that she wouldn't make them endure a lecture they already heard before. "The Principal has a video for you, so I don't have to waste my breath." She reached up a slim, scarred hand and pulled the projector screen down. She moved to her desk, opened her laptop to the paused video.

Sam turned back to her class. "I remember telling the school board to carry along the message that all science classes are required to have two notebooks. One will be for your notes and the other for lab activities and experiments. So, write 'Notes' on one and 'Lab' on the other." She ordered, watching her students pull out the requested notebooks and started to write when they completed their task they looked up at her, expectantly.

"You will have notes on this video in your Lab Journal. I will be looking for such and you will receive a grade based on your notes. I won't be taking them, today but tomorrow after your first lab is completed. To sum it up, you will receive three grades for the first two days of school. Lab Safety notes, your first lab experiment and your lab's report. I will later show you my expectation and a template for your report. It must follow my instructions to the T, if you fail to do so. If I have to hunt down the information, I will count it as incorrect. Regardless of your response."

"Three grades on the first day?!" A boy gasped.

Sam frowned. "Yes. None of these are too difficult." She pressed play with her mouse and the video started up, "You should think of these simplistic grades as buffers for future assignments and tests. Not everyone can excel in every chapter I teach or subject. I'll be in the lab, finishing the preparation for your lab. Behave, I can hear through that wall." Sam spoke and slinked to the back of the class to the adjoining door and looked to the ten lab tables that sat in two columns and five rows.

The first day was over, rather quickly. The classes seemed to blur by. Most of her classes were easy and followed her agenda for that day. Most seemed to enjoy their elected science course and Sam had a good impression of them. However, class 1-B of the hero course had to work in the textbooks in deathly silence due to a handful of their classmates. Every whisper they uttered added to their work load and so, they had a ton of homework to complete. Now, Samantha had to grade their notebooks and the questions of the first five chapters of their textbooks. That ruined her mood, she wanted a relative easy first two day for her students and in turn, herself. A lab would've been a perfect introduction into their course but Sam wouldn't tolerate disobedience and lack of respect for her class or herself. The somewhat good thing about class 1-b was that they were her last class of the day. Sam didn't have another class to snap at in frustration because 1-b decided to rub her the wrong way.

The only other class that looked to be troublesome was the management course, the lot of them didn't seem to care about Samantha's Science class. Only that they needed to attend and pass. The students held little interest in her course and that ticked her off as well. They dismissed her class before the lot even stepped through her door. That infuriated Samantha to no end but the students were orderly so, they got to her lab.

Samantha stood behind her desk and gathered her binder and laptop and placed them into her messenger bag. She hummed as she packed. "Hey, Nemuri." She spoke, looking up to the dark haired woman who stood in the doorway.

She smiled, "How was you first day, hun?" She asked, eyeing her board that was littered with more than what she had on before class started.

"For the majority, it was alright but I might kill 1-b." Sam grimaced, slinging her messenger bag over her shoulder. "So, are you here to escort me?"

"Mmh, maybe." Nemuri hummed to the approaching Samantha. The two women exited into the hall and Samantha locked her door. "Come along, Pond." She teased and led the way to the elevator.

Sam groaned at the smirking woman but followed. The two made their way to the campus entrance where the other teachers waited. Sam and Nemuri joined Shouta and Hizashi in their walk. "Your students are a precious gift." Sam muttered to Shouta. The stare he gave her was one of disbelief. "Far better than 1-b." Shouta opened his mouth to respond to Sam when Nemuri sprang into action, bouncing in a very hypnotizing fashion. Sam almost couldn't help but to stare, entranced.

Nemuri snorted. "What did 1-b do to you? Where did they-" The R-rated heroine was silenced by the glares of several teachers, all of them daring her to continue. Nemuri harrumphed and stuck out her tongue. "Can't I make a joke?" Sam choked, her face flaming red.

"Jesus!" She rasped, horrified.

"Not that kind, Mid." Hizashi shuddered.

Sam smacked him in the arm. "Stop thinking about it!" She snapped, scarlet raced across her sun deprived face.

"I'm trying, Sammy! I swear!" Hizashi blushed, looking away at anything but the armory heroine, ashamed. "It's all I can think about since Mid-"

Sam reached and pulled out a strand of blonde hair and he let out a yelp of pain. His fingerless gloved hand going up to cradle his head, Hizashi scowled at Sam as she let the strand drop. "Are ya thinking about it now?" She growled, her burgundy eyes flashed in annoyance.

"No." He muttered, nursing his hair. Hizashi fixed the strands that Sam misplaced with a scowl on his face and faint blush still on his cheeks.

"Good." Sam nodded, appeased. "For your information, Nemuri, I like my men a bit older."

Toshinori flushed, a deep red as he walked next to her.

"Aw..." Nemuri pouted, "No women?"

"No, only men for me." Sam sang. "But if that ever changes, you'll be the first to know." Nemuri grinned then Sam's phone started to ring, she scowled as the Tardis' engines stuttered to a halt. She fished out her phone and glared. "James is turning into a mother hen." She pressed the silent button and jammed the offending item back into her messenger bag.

"Oh, James?" Nemuri hummed, her bright blue eyes gleamed with mischief.

"A friend from home, I think he has serious abandonment issues..." Sam muttered and shot a dirty look at Nemuri. "He's a hero works homicide with Interpol in London."

"Just a friend?" Nemuri pressed and Sam gave her an unimpressed look, slightly aspirated.

"He doesn't play for my team." Sam deadpanned.

"Oh. Pity."

"So, where's this bar that you've been going on about?" Sam asked with a laugh.


	3. Scotch or Death?

A/N: I had a different plan for this chapter but it kind of took a different turn and I'm okay with the turn.

Sam looked skeptical. A bar full of pro heroes? Nah, nothing could possibly go wrong, she thought as she slid into a bright red booth next to Nemuri. She looked across to Shouta, who sat across from her. He looked tired and like he knew that something would definitely go wrong. A waiter bounded to the big circular booth with a smile and beautiful green eyes. "Hello teachers! How was your first day?" He received a chorus of responses and took them with a small laugh and asked. "That bad?"

"Could've been worse but now, it's better now with you here," Nemuri said with a waggle of eyebrows, the waiter tsked and wagged a pen at Nemuri. "Katsu? We have two new teachers with us. Yagi Toshinori and Samantha Pond."

"I can see that." Katsu reached a hand to shake Toshinori's and then Sam's. Sam smiled back at him. "I am Katsu. It's a pleasure to have you in my bar. What will you be having, Sam or Samantha?"

"Oh, either one will work just fine with me. I'll have a scotch, neat. Just a scotch will do." Sam asked.

"Sam, it is." He hummed as he wrote. "Are you British, my dear?"

"Yeah," Sam admitted. "Was it the accent?"

"Just intuition." Katsu laughed with a wink, Sam blushed. He went around the table asking for orders, most consisted of beer and sake with the outliers excluding herself was being Nemuri and Hizashi who asked for Sex on the Beach and Devil's Bedroom. It was easy to distinguish who's was who's. Nemuri also placed an order for three appetizers samplers for the teachers to share. "Anything else I can get you?"

Sam perked as an idea struck her, she had doubts but it couldn't hurt to try. "Um, I don't know if you have this and if you don't that's fine." She chewed her bottom lip and then, asked. "Do you have fish n' chips?"

"Ah, we do!" Katsu nodded with a smile. "Our cook had insisted that it was put on the menu when he started to work here. Would you like an order?"

"He's a good man then." Sam nodded, satisfied with her answer. "A small one, so my colleagues can try if they want. If they don't I'll finish it." Katsu nodded, collected the menu's and left them to converse and socialize.

"Fish and Chips?" Ectoplasm asked.

"Ah!" Sam beamed. "A little slice of home from me to you. It's fried fish and french fries served with vinegar. It's really good, a comfort food." Her mouth watered at the thought of the bitter vinegar and the light crunch of the batter as you reached the soft fish that was inside. Sam drooled at the vinegar soften fries.

"Mhm." Sam hummed. "It's really good. I'd think you'd enjoy it. I always like to get some after a hero shift." Katsu came around and distributed the liquor to who it belonged too. She sipped her scotch in contempt.

"How about a drinking game?" Hizashi exclaimed with a wide white teethed smile. "We ask a question and whoever out dos everyone else's response doesn't take a drink. Everyone else does."

Sam shrugged. "Sounds interesting. I'm in." Then she added, "Only use a story once on one question, no recycling."

"You must be the darling star of the environmental venue." Vald remarked, Sam rolled her eyes. The table murmured their agreement to Hizashi's game. The air seemed to shift, thickening as tensions rose. Waiting to see who would start and who would answer.

"So, most interestingly weird call?" Nemuri asked with a certain gleam in her eyes. Everyone paused from their drinking and waited on breath, waiting for someone to answer.

"Undercover police posing as drug buyers busting undercover police posing as drug sellers." Shouta answered without looking up from his drink. "I had to diffuse a stand off of friendly fire."

"Damn." Snipe whistled as he brought his beer to his lips.

"I had a large naked man high on ecstasy flappy his arms around because he thought he was a butterfly. A big fat butterfly man who was started to float off the ground. So, I had to tether him and he fell on me." A series of gasps and laughs at Sam's story. " I had to wait forty five minutes with a three hundred plus, sobbing man for help."

Nemuri choked on her drink, Sam saw Shouta smirk over his glass and Hizashi not hiding his booming laughter. She giggled and shook her burgundy locks. "I can still feel his clammy, sweaty body. I took ten showers that night and still felt nasty." The table exploded in laughter. A ring echoed from Sam's purse. Sam would bet two hundred that it was from James. She sighed and pulled it out.

You need to call. ASAP. National security is at risk. -J

"I need to take this, be right back." Sam wriggled herself free from the booth and moved to the bar's entrance. She didn't know what was so pressing that he needed her to call, right then. Hopefully, something of import or Sam would've contemplated homicide. The crisp late autumn night nipped at her face as Sam hit sail and brought her phone to her ear. "Yeah, James."

"He's back." His normally cheery voice was flat and tense. James was worried about something. That worried Sam, James didn't worry a lot. His quirk eased many of his doubts and self-consciousness but who's back? What could worry the all deducing James Rogers?

Sam tensed at her friend's tone in response. She turned away from the bar's large window after more than a few curious gazes watched her start to pace. "Who's back? James?" She almost didn't want to know.

"The Ripper has killed again." James growled. He sounded out of breath like he was pacing. "I am 95% sure that it's Jack and not another copy cat but I need your expertise. You were the closest to this case, the closest to catching him."

Sam froze. A chill shuddered through her body and a ripple of nausea swept her abdomen. Samantha shivered. "What?" She croaked.

"Face time me and I'll show you the crime scene." James promptly hung up and Sam stared at the recent calls list on her phone, she couldn't wrap her head around it. Sure, she thought he was still alive but she never thought he would kill again. Sam shoved the dark thoughts away and focused. James' handsome face appeared on her screen and she hit answer.

"Okay." James said. "We found the body at 21 Rivet Ct."

"Where Anna was killed, that's highly classified police knowledge." Sam echoed, information rattled off her tongue. She fell so easily into her and James' rhythm, bouncing ideas and knowledge off of each other. "I know that's either him or-"

"Someone on the inside is a copycat copycat or someone paid to get that information." James said, still walking Sam around the crime scene on face time.

"Like a fanatic." Sam added, "There were several groups that obsessed over the second Ripper's case. A few followed both of the serial killers. What blade was used?" Sam peered into the phone as James walked the phone through the crime scene. The female body laid spread eagle on the ground. Stripped to the undergarments. Midsection cut with medical precision and the reproductive organs missing. Uterus and ovaries. Plush white carpet soaked in blood. The Ripper had liked to preform when the women still were aware.

"Medical scalpel, according to the forensics." James answered. "There's more."

"Of course, there's always more." Sam noticed the soft blonde hair and the brown, unseeing eyes. "She looks like Anna." Sam remarked, softly.

"There's a note." James continued. "It's addressed to you." He held a roll of parchment in front of his phone's camera.

'Greetings, my heroine. How's Japan faring you? Not as damp as London, I presume? It's certainly friendlier than home. Is it nicer with all of the high tier pro heroes around? My, it feels good to kill again. You had almost gotten me on Downing St, Militia. That took me almost three years to recover from and still, I'm not the man I once was. I can only imagine the look on your face to know that you have failed. You have failed your Queen and country. Most of all, that you failed Anna. That every murder I preform is on your hands on your consciousness. Every death I claim from here on is on your hands. That, my dear, is a kind of red on your ledger you'll never erase. Funny, my dear? That I am the Moriarty to your Sherlock, an inescapable circle that the two of us are trapped in until one of us quits the circle of this life. Until one of us, sheds off this mortal coil. I'll see you soon, Militia.

-Forever your quarry, Jack'

Sam felt nauseous as she read his demented letter. He was out for blood. Everyone on the Ripper case would be a target, everyone that took a role in the hit on the Whitechapel murderer. Rubbish rustled past and Sam spun to see nothing but shadows but Sam could've sworn she saw his emerald eyes glaring at her. "Is Tim there?" She asked, her eyes focused on the shadows of the skyscrapers.

"Of course, he's the head of forensics department. He wouldn't miss a case like this." James answered, flipping the camera back to him. Worry wrote it's way across his handsome face, that look was unsuitable for him.

Sam shook herself, why wouldn't her hands stop shaking? She clenched her fist and her fist trembled. "I'm going to share my location with you and tell Tim to port me to you all. We need to find Jack before he acts." She growled. "I need to tell them-"

"Wait, Sam!" James barked. "You're a teacher, now. You can't just drop everything at a drop of a penny."

"A body, really." Sam mumbled back. "A drop of a body."

"Wha-? Whatever! You have commitments to keep!" She could see the aspiration on his face, it would've been amusing at any other time but this wasn't any other time. "You aren't London's Knight anymore." James stressed and Sam gritted her teeth.

"Then, you'll have me at your disposal until my first class in the morning." Sam snapped, efficiently hanging up without a response from James. She swept back into the bar with her lips pressed in a thin line. Sam arrived in front of the table full of pro heroes. They looked back with confusion but watched as Samantha fished several bills from her purse and tossed them on an empty spot on the tabletop. "I have an emergency and I have to go. I'm so sorry, I'll see you all tomorrow at school." All of them looked like they had questions but Sam didn't have the time and she could see her ride on the sidewalk.

Samantha Pond stepped out of the golden circle and the damp air of London swarmed her. She could taste the polluted moisture in the air. A short, brunette man dressed in a sharp suit stood on the lamp light on a street corner. "Tim." She greeted, warmly. Shedding her evening coat, settling the fabric in the crook of her arm and stepping up on the sidewalk. The man in question offered her a familiar smile and offered a coke to Samantha. "You still remember?" She asked with a fond smile and warmth in her chest. Sam fished a pill bottle out of her purse and popped two small green pills and drank the proffered coke in gratitude.

"Always, Sam." Tim offered her a thin lipped smile and brought a lit cigarette to his lips, taking a long drag. "How's teaching going?" Smoke billowed form his mouth and the glow cast melancholic shadows across his face and spectacles.

"Better than Scotland's yard is going for you." Sam sighed. "I always hoped that the Ripper was gone for good but dreams are just that, dreams."

"Dreams are wishes that your heart makes." Tim sang with a smile and gestured towards the door. He crushed his cigarette under the heel of his boot. "The case is aloof." Sam couldn't stop the snort and with a shake of burgundy locks she walked up the steps and entered the flat. The case was indeed, aloof.


	4. Coffee, Classes and Cases

Samantha stumbled out of Tim's portal with no energy whatsoever. She felt drained to the bone, and drug up the steps to her flat and got dressed. Even the simplest of efforts felt like a marathon. As she dressed, she felt like an automatic robot. Sam solely relied on muscle memory for support and went wherever her body moved to next. She went with a simple, professional dress in rider's boots. She didn't even have the time to sleep for five minutes. She didn't have the luxury to be late, it was only her second day.

Sam plucked the hair pick out of her hair. She had put the mess of burgundy up in a bun, sometime last night. Sometime during her night of running around the city with James and Tim, scrounging for any clues on the Ripper. Her hair didn't look too dreadful, the hair pin maintained her loose curls. Sam ran a comb through and was satisfied. Her makeup didn't smudge and should be fine for the day ahead. Maybe a little mascara and definitely, some lip gloss.

Finally, she had to clean Sasha's dog dishes and replenished her food and water for the day. She did the same with her cat's dishes. Bast and Ama were aloof as ever but in a more particular mood, this morning. Sam had little energy to deal them as she had to with a hyperactive husky. A very young and eager puppy who needed to be walked before Sam could leave or come home to a wreaked house.

Coffee was a must. Energy of any kind was necessary for survival. Her own and for her students. There was a small coffee shop on the way to school. Sam had also decided on buying lunch at the school. Their school lunches were far better that the ones she received in grade school in London. She didn't have the energy, patience or time to make her own.

Ten minutes later, she emerged out of her flat and locked the door. Sam made it to the third step before she cursed, loudly. "Fuckity fuck fuck." She hissed, marching back into her home to snatched her purse off of the entry table before exiting, once more.

The coffee shop's door chimed, cheerily and Sam wondered if she could break it. Nothing she sound that cheerily, this early in the morning. There didn't seem to be a huge line, so Sam took her place at the end. Quietly, scrolling through London's crime reports in the past three years. Sam had promised James to help in anyway she could to find the Ripper. So, here she was riffling through domestic disputes and petty crimes to see any sign of the beginnings of Jack's activity after his near fatal wound. Sam kept refining her search. From attacked hospital staff to stolen medical equipment to attempted murders. The words of his letter kept sneaking across Sam's psyche and more bile rose in her throat.

"Sam?" But Sam was in her own little world. Lost in the sea of closed files and cold cases. She purses her lips, an idea sprang to the forefront of her mind. Extending the area of her search to the towns around London. That seemed like a fools' errand to stay in the city that you were almost caught in but a man like Jack, might just do as such. If Sam damaged his masculinity too that degree he would've left the the city in an effort to better himself for the next round.

"Samantha?" A large hand closed around her wrist and Sam spun to flip her attacker but she startled to stare into the tired and slightly worried gaze of Aizawa Shouta.

Sam forced her muscles to relax and Aizawa released her wrist. She shoved her phone into her pocket. She offered Shouta an equally tired smile. "Hey." She greeted.

"Hello." He responded, Sam could've sworn she saw concern flash in his dark eyes. He stood beside Sam in line for coffee. "You look terrible."

"That's how one looks after hunting in London's underbelly, all night." Sam answered with a slight smile.

The corners of his lips rose up in the beginnings of a smile. "We were worried when you left, last night."

"I had something come up-"

"You paid for dinner and a couple rounds of all of our drinks and then some." Aizawa cut her off, his hands in his pockets and standing in a slouched position. "Kai had a very generous tip too."

Sam mentally kicked herself. "I wasn't thinking." She sighed, tilting her head back to stare at the black tile ceiling. She didn't think about how many bills she tossed on the table, all she wanted to do was to get to the crime scene to confirm it with her own eyes.

"It's understanding, especially when the TV at the bar was broadcasting the news." Aizawa nodded, jerking his head to the TV behind Sam. Sam twisted around and saw herself, James and Tim standing in front of the press with grim expressions. His tone was understanding. "Jack the Ripper is back to killing."

"I'm helping James on the case." Sam said, quickly and added. "The Ripper case was mine before, so I'm consulting. Helping wherever I can. He's out for blood this time, Jack is. I had to convince James to not assign me a protection detail or draft me in victim protective services."

"Why?" Sam had to turn her gaze to Shouta Aizawa at the sharpness in his voice. He peered down at her with sharper, more cautious eyes as if he was reassessing her situation. A true hero, she remarked.

"He left a note. The only one of five he wrote in his time as a serial killer. He heavily implied going after everyone involved in the trap. Even his victim pointed towards a grudge. She fit the physical profile of a sidekick that worked the case." Sam continued. "We all agreed that even though I would be a target, it would be unlikely for him to travel out to Japan. London is his hunting grounds, where he is most comfortable and knows the layout. A trip here would be foolish."

Shouta opened his mouth to say something else when Sam heard the barista call, "Next!" Sam blushed because she was next and the lady had to say that she was next in line. Everyone else paid attention when a counter emptied. Sam failed in that fact.

"Hi." Sam smiled, apologetically. "What's your strongest drink?"

"Well, any of our drinks can be strong, we can add extra shots if you wish." The girl answered with a tight lipped smile. Oh, the girl didn't like her at all.

"A Java Frap with five extra shots then with a shot of espresso on the side." Sam told her and the girl stared at her for a good minute, startled. Sam spotted something and the display case and plucked it on the countertop. A Beyond Plus Ultra Energy drink. All Might's energy drink brand. Not for the weak hearted, one can of that could make Sam's heart flutter like a butterfly. Scary but the drink did it's job. Give energy to the needy. "A scone too, please." Sam watched the girl grabbed a cup and wrote her order up with a bemused gaze.

"One black coffee." A rough voice chimed and a pale hand reached to the girl with a card in his hand. "And a scone too."

Sam turned her burgundy gaze to Aizawa's amused one. "No, I can't." She started but he shook his dark hair.

"Payback for dinner, last night."

Sam nodded, seeing his logic but a light blush dusted her cheeks. Sam hated when people did stuff for her, made her feel guilty like charity. "Alright." She murmured.

The barista took his card and charged him. Her gaze flickered between the two pros. "It'll be ready at the other counter."

"Do you have a death wish?" Shouta asked as the pair shuffled down to the other counter to receive their goods.

"No rest for the wicked." Sam grinned up to the man. "And no peace for the good."

Aizawa left Sam at her classroom's door and she was left to stew in her own thoughts for the next hour and forty five minutes. Sam riffled through several more files that James sent over in the short time it took to travel to U.A. Sam found what she was looking for. An abundance was found, crashed in a lake. One of the technicians was found dead with a several incisions in her torso and her partner was never found. The town was fifty five miles out of the greater London area and the abundance was for London proper. Sam couldn't find the records for a body for the partner or even an unidentifiable body around the time of that accident. As far as the Ripper case was concerned, that man was alive until proven otherwise. Sam had already drank her shot of espresso, her java frappe and her Beyond Plus Ultra. Her heart was pounding in her chest.

Sam jolted as her first class filed in, this would be a long day.

Sam curled under her desk with a blanket and a pillow that she had stored in a filing cabinet for much needed sleep at lunch. Sam jolted at a knocking on her desk, she peered up. "Hi." She mumbled, tiredly.

Shouta stared back, slightly amused. "Blanket." He ordered with an outstretched hand. Sam narrowed her eyes at him, not quite trusting him. Aizawa Shouta sighed and offered a green sleeping bag. "Trade." He offered.

Sam unwound herself out of her blanket and handed it to Shouta. She crawled into the proffered green plush bag. Shouta placed the blanket on her desk, pining it into place with textbooks and a stapler. Making her soft blanket into a blind. Sam pursed her lips in darkness and poked her head out of her fort. Shouta had a blue erase marker in his hand and he was writing a adgenda for her last three classes of the day. She watched him write with confusion. What was he doing?

"I have my open period after lunch, Hizashi is after mine and Nemuri can finish it off." Shouta answered Sam's silent question as he finished.

So, Sam stuck her head back into her hidey hole and slept. She was only roused by a smirking Nemuri telling her that the day was over. Samantha Pond headed home, refreshed and an appreciation for her colleagues.


	5. Britain’s Finest

A/N: I added a few things that I planned and forgot about and a few things that didn't plan but wanted to add in previous chapters. Her dog and two cats and the green pills.

Midoriya Izuku went home after school on Tuesday, rather curious about his science teacher and her disappearance, that day. The whole school was in a buzz about the return of Jack the Ripper and their sensei who was involved in the case. The new teacher who's face was plastered across the news channels on every tv in Japan. So, he researched another famous showdown. A fight that all students in the U.K. watched in school on November 5th. The weapon hero, Militia vs. the Whitechapel Murderer, Jack the Ripper.

Izuku watched as a video camera zoomed in on Militia stalking a rooftop with a man of shadows at her side, the shadow hero; Thanatos. Blackness snagged the heroes clothes as the pair stood on the ledge. In the alley below, a young woman sauntered around dressed a short glittering gold and tight cocktail dress. She was waiting for her prey of the night, an undercover police woman who didn't survive that night. Izuku watched the shadows swirl and a man stepped into the alley dressed in a trench coat and fedora. Gleaming green eyes twinkled in the gloom. The Ripper. More shadows moved as the police readied themselves for their assault.

Militia crouched at the edge of the roof, glaring down at the approaching figure. Burgundy curls caught in the wind and large metallic wings spread open, forming on the back of her armor. Black armor glittered dangerously in the cloudy London night. People said that she took that color to bear the darkness, so others could stay pure of the soul. The Queen's blackened Knight. "It's Militia." The camera man awed. "What in the bloody hell is she doing here?" The air tensed in anticipation as the task force moved into position, ready to strike.

Suddenly, everything moved. The stillness of the calm night shattered and chaos grew. The Ripper lunged like a coiled snake striking the police woman with the glinting blade of a scalpel in his hands. Militia flung herself off the building, a long sword forming in her hand and a large pistol in the another. The camera shook as the camera man called out his surprise. Jack did something and the lunging police hit the ground in pain.

"Jack!" She shouted, furiously. He moved as Militia hit the ground, her armor breaking the pavement. The police woman hit the ground, dead. Her blood poured from an open wound on her neck, James emerged for the building that Militia and Thanatos had stood on. A pistol held in his hands, he managed to get a shot out before Jack slapped the weapon out of James' hand and James threw himself to the side to avoid getting slashed.

"Build them up with iron and steel, iron and steel." Jack sang with a haunting laugh and sly smirk. He ducked under the sweep of Militia's blade. He dodged the sharpened shadows from Thanatos and the police's bullets and sprinted out of the alley. "Kill them all with lead and fire, lead and fire, lead and fire. Kill them all with lead and fire, my fair princess."

"Shit!" Militia cursed, burgundy eyes wide with rage. "We can't let him get away!" She banished her long sword for a tri bladed dagger.

"He'll be heading for a crowd to loose us in." James stood up and Militia tossed him, the one she held. Another pistol of her own creation. "He's heading towards Downing St! The Guy Fawkes bonfire! Let's go!" He deduced with narrowed eyes.

"This ends tonight." Militia vowed, she took the lead and chased after Jack.

"Oh, shit." The camera man whispered and struggled to keep up with the running pro heroes. Militia streaked ahead of the trio and slammed into the Ripper, just before he reached a large crowd around a pile of wood and a scarecrow. He flew into the brick siding of a building. "Oh my fucking god, did she just kill him?!" The camera guy screamed.

The Ripper seemed to bounce back and swung his scalpel and Militia parred with her own dagger. She followed through with her own slash and dropped her knife to snatched it with her opposite hand and drove the blade down into his shoulder. He shouted and Militia screamed as her arm twisted in an unnatural way by seemingly nothing.

"Militia!" Thanatos called and he froze as Jack focused his quirk on him. His teeth grinder together to stop himself from screaming out. Her dagger dropped, clattering to the floor and Jack gripped her wrist, tightly. Jack glared at the slowing figure of James, silently daring James to make a move.

"Don't move heroes." Jack taunted, his green eyes flashed in anger and pain. "Let's see how many of you I can hold, shall we?"

"Sam." James breathed, eyes wide and panicked. He kept the pistol trained on the killer but his eyes honed in on the burgundy haired heroine.

Jack held Militia in his arms, the bloody scalpel was held to her neck. "It's time to end our game, my dear Militia." He spoke, softly into the heroine's ear. A hand running through her hair and Sam struggled. "It's been an honor playing this game of ours, Samantha."

"I was fixing to say the same thing." Militia snarled, his blade nicked her neck as she spun away from the killer. Another tri bladed dagger formed in her hand, she thrusted the blade into Jack's side. The blade tore into his side and Jack stumbled back with a gasp as blood flowed out at an alarming rate. "You will never kill again, Jack the Ripper."

Jack coughed and blood oozed out of his side and mouth. "Oh." He grinned, blood following all over his pearly white teeth. "How wrong are you?" He sluggishly reached in his pocket.

"Don't move, Jack!" Militia snarled, a tinge of fear laced in her honey voice. She readied herself to strike Jack again if he didn't yield.

"Remember, remember the fifth of November." Jack said and laughed as the heroes pounced for the Whitechapel murderer but it was too late. The explosion rocked the block as the bonfire blew up, flinging the heroes back away from the civilians. Thanatos' shadows grabbed his colleagues and softened their landing. Jack killed himself and fifty civilians, that night on the 5th of November. Izuku stared at the standing heroes with looks of horror and regret etched on their faces. Police sirens screamed and people cried out. From that night on, the Ripper task force were hailed as Britain's finest.

Samantha Pond had a steady rhythm going. School, lunch with the teachers, home to grade papers and the Ripper case. Her classes were full of students eager to gather any information about the Ripper but alas, the case was active once again which meant that Sam couldn't say. Much to their disappointment. Was her life weird? Yes, but steady. She could honestly say she likes the change form London to U.A. and to teaching, rather than being a full time pro.

Sam loved it all, until Thursday. The media somehow broke the school's defense mechanism around lunch. The vultures were on the hunt for All Might but the school refused to give him to them. As soon as their greedy gazes landed on Sam, they turned their sights on London's one woman army. The bigger fish was just out of their reach, so they settle for the smaller fish to hunt.

"I can't give you that information." Sam growled at them for what felt like the hundredth time. "I am not at liberty to say." She repeated her own words that she hadn't even said less that two minutes ago. But the sharks smelled the single drop of weakness, blood in the water and they swarmed. Sam was somewhat grateful that most of the media were still on the hunt for the number 1 pro hero. That took most of the heat off her back for the time being. Sam needed to get back inside and take her medication but she needed to stay and keep the press out of the main campus.

"Miss Pond, do you feel responsible for the deaths?" One mousy haired reporter asked with a sharp predatory gleam in her baby blue eyes.

"Jack is a serial killer-" Sam broke off and honed in on the reporter, then it seemed clicked. "Hang on, deaths?" She asked, voice tense.

"You were uninformed about the most recent murder, Militia?" Another reporter said. One shark trying to go in for the kill. "Jack the Ripper modeled this death after you." Another passed her a phone and Sam had to steel herself from dropping the device. The woman had dyed a rich, deep red hair. A shade of burgundy. Lifeless burgundy eyes stared at nothing and her face twisted into one frozen of terror. A messy dyeing job because the tanned skin around her hairline was stained red. Sam felt sick, she couldn't quiet force air into her lungs. Her body seemed to refuse simple order of to live.

Sam shoved the phone back into the reporter's hands and the nausea swarmed. "No more questions." She growled. "No more." Anger bubbled in her chest and she bit her tongue. Sam breathed, heavily through her nose, her chest rose heavily, shakily. She shook in place as fury gnawed at her will.

"What about his letter to you?!"

Her eyes widened, how did they know? Sam squeezed her eyes shut, it was best if she didn't give them anything more to go off of. She needed to keep them from going inside without forcing or maiming the vultures. To keep their contact to the children to a minimum. U.A. Students didn't deserve to experience the horrible tabloids yet.

Black metal wrapped around Sam's slim form, molding into a lethe armor as she activated her quirk. She couldn't take them, any longer. The points turned up to form aerodynamic curves and esthetic around Samantha's form. Sam designed her armor to the best of her ability to reminisce a modern knight. Feminine in shape and curves but fierce in the armor's edges and points. Her Militia armor settled into place, gleaming black chrome caught the reporters' hungry gazes. Large metallic, angelic wings spread forth from the back plate, outstretched to prevent anyone trying to pass her. Silver feathers blinded the reporters, unfurling to its wingspan. Sam opted out of her helmet and drew her long sword. She impaled the dirt where she stood, black and white silver shone, brightly in the sun's light. Engraved words along the flat of the blade read, 'To serve and protect'.

Nausea remained a constant, it hasn't even been a half hour since she should've taken her pills and the effects were growing.

"Wow." One uttered before they swarmed her, once more.

Sam formed her helmet, quickly with a scowl. Not wanting to deal with the likes of them, any longer. Another nauseous wave swept her and Sam swayed in place. Sam glared at the big blue sky and waited for the police to arrive, ignoring the pestering of the media. The were rounded up within the hour and Sam stayed, frozen within her spot in the quad. Her armor disappeared, as if the metal evaporated under the sun. She fought against the side effects of her condition, glaring at the ground. Working up the energy and effort to head inside for her bottle.

"Sammy?" Sam recognized Hizashi's voice. She turned, spotting him and Shouta Aizawa and the world flickered. Sam hit the ground with a gasp, her fingers felt numb and heavy to the touch. She cried out as the pain hit, how could she be so stupid?

"Sam!"

"Recovery Girl?" Shouta called, shifting the dead weight of Sam to Hizashi, so he could open the door. Fear thrummed in his chest when Sam fell, especially when Nezu feared that a villain took advantage of the chaos of the press and broke into U.A. "Sam fainted." He continued, Hizashi and him shuffled in. One arm slung around each of the men's shoulders.

"Put her on the bed, Aizawa." The elderly woman ordered and shuffled over to Sam. She tsked after she examined Sam. "How foolish." She wandered over to a cabinet and took down a small vial of poison colored liquid.

"Is Sammy alright?!" Hizashi asked, he wasn't his usual outgoing self. Worry seeped into his voice as he fidgeted. "She'll be A Okay?"

"She will be fine." Recovery Girl muttered and waved Hizashi's concern off as she pulled out a syringe and withdrew the liquid into her needle. "Sam forgot to take her medication when she needed to and paid the price. She would've been in trouble if I wasn't here and had knowledge of her condition."

"What condition?" Shouta asked, looking over to the school's nurse. He stood next to the cot with his hands shoved in his pockets, Shouta watched his unconscious burgundy haired colleague, carefully.

"Not my place to tell." Recovery Girl hummed as she laid a hand on Samantha's shoulder and placed the syringe into her joint and injecting the liquid into Sam's blood stream. Aizawa had to admit that he was curious to know what Sam was sick with but he excepted that and didn't press. He elbowed Hizashi when he made a noise of disappointment. "She'll be absolutely miserable but she'll be awake in an hour or so."

"Alright." Shouta straightened, satisfied that Sam'll live and she wasn't attacked. "At least, she's alright."

"I'll get someone to cover her next class." Recovery Girl shooed the two men out of her office with her cane. "Run along, young ones." She chided.


	6. London’s One Woman Army

A/N: If you like My Hero Academia and like this story, you should check out another one of my stories. Another My Hero Academia fanfic called 'Stay Gold' about two twin sisters in Class 1-A! One that might crossover with this story, I haven't decided yet but probably yes. Oh, and a memory arc. I think I'll do one of these every time that Sam passes out, bless her heart! This one will be about how she got the title of London's one woman army. This might last five or six chapters, I'm stressing the word 'might'. It might be more or less but if this arc follows how I'm envisioning it'll go, this will tie in Stay Gold if I choose that route. If I do I won't have them too much involved with each other but just occurring within the same universe. Like NCIS:LA, NCIS:NO and NCIS. Tell me what you think about it? XD

I'm also using this arc to iron out details on where I want to go with the story, I have a rough idea. I just want to get a solid game plan! Just a side note! I hope you enjoy!

PS: I love Sam's quirk. Weaponry! The possibilities are endless, vast and incredible. I get a strong Erza from Fairytail vibe from Sam. I feel like they would get along, fantastically if they ever met. I feel like if I was in the My Hero Academia universe, I would want Sam's quirk or Rin's quirk of magic creation (Stay Gold), Hell, even James' quirk of deduction would be fantastic and you could do so much with it. What quirk would you want? And what would you do with it? Tell me in the comments.

Name: Samantha Elizabeth Pond

Alias: Militia, London's one woman army, the Queen's blackened knight

Birthday: December 1st

Age: 26

Gender: female

Height: 5'5"

Hair Color: Burgundy

Eye Color: Burgundy

Blood Type: O-

Quirk: Weaponry

Status: Alive

Birthplace: Unknown

Occupation: Pro Hero, Teacher, Consultant

Affiliation: U.A. High School, London's monarchy and government

Power

6/5 S

Speed

4/5 B

Technique

5/5 A

Intelligence

5/5 A

Cooperativeness

3/5 C

Sam panted after she hit the ground for the umpteenth time that day. "Enough." She heaved out, glaring at the mat. She was trying to quell her growing fury. Her muscles screamed at her to rest and her head throbbed in pain after being smacked around all day. Deep burgundy locks plastered across her forehead to her scalp and nape. "I'm too tired." And soggy, Sam added silently. Her clothes clung to her form, weighing her down. Every time she took a step, her shoe would squish with sodden material. Shimizu Asami however was bone dry.

"Again." Asami barked, her oceanic eyes glinted with what Sam could only describe as sadistic intent. "One more go, this time really mean it."

Sam pushed the fury down and a short sword formed in her hands. "Damnit!" She shouted, forcing her legs under her as she launched herself at Asami. She moved and swung her free hand as a shield formed and met a torrid blast of water. The water stung her skin, moving with the speed of a bullet. Sam gritted her teeth as the wave pushed her back. Asami said that she couldn't use anything lethal but she had to aim to kill if she wanted to beat Asami. The onslaught wouldn't end and Sam knew that Asami was approaching by the increased force of the water blast.

Sam tried every non lethal weapon she could thing of. Her eye caught a particularly bulky rifle and an idea popped into her head, she grinned. That will hopefully work. She banished her short sword and with great reluctance her shield as well. Sam shot across the room, hit the gym's wall with a groan. "That was so stupid." She heard Asami scolded, cutting off her assault. "Getting yourself killed? That was your plan?" Asami stopped short, staring down the barrel of a drum fed Thompson.

"Rubber bullets used for riot control. Non lethal." Sam grinned, leaning against the wall for support. "Yield?" Sam asked with a rising smirk.

"Or?" Shimizu Asami asked with a raised eyebrow. A hand raised to continue the use her quirk.

"Or be riddled with rubber bullets?"

"Fair enough." Asami relented with an amused smile. "You're getting better."

Sam slid down the wall, exhausted. "Like my little friend?" Sam asked with a laugh. A sharp cough rattled her frame. Sam brought a hand to cover hr cough and brought it away from her mouth and saw blood. The unwelcoming sight wasn't shocking to neither woman.

"I'll get your pills." Asami said with a deep frown and moved, gracefully across the room to Sam's backpack. The private gym's door swung open and another girl walked in bright, shining green hair with the same shade of green in her eyes.

"Hey, Sammy!"Lily called out, dressed in her own work out uniform and a teal towel thrown over her shoulder. A hand went up and tied back her hair with a hair band. "Hey, Asami!" Sam was about to greet Lily back when another more violent cough rattled her worn frame. Lily's smile faltered and she moved across the room to Sam. Lily Greene was a hero surgeon with a diagnostic quirk to accurately diagnostic her patients and the best course of action for their recovery. She was dedicating her life to help the heroes who dedicated their lives to helping others. She didn't ask for permission before placing her hand on Sam's chest.

Sam stared up at the surgeon, amused. "Go right ahead?" She muttered. "Anything changed?" Asami passed Sam her pills and some water.

"No, it hasn't." Lily said, she sounded disappointed and extremely frustrated at Sam's body. Sam's condition was the enigma of Lily's professional career. A corundum that she has yet solved. Yet to heal. "I think I want to try a new course of treatment-"

A towering man swept into the room, solid shadows danced across his form. He was dressed in a all black suit. The man was one Sam recognized well, Thanatos. A frequent consultant for her majesty's royal guard and to her majesty. A well known pro hero. The three women looked up as he surveyed the group with hard blackened eyes. "I have a mission if one of you wants to take it. A request from the queen."

Sam raised her hand before Asami, previous soreness forgotten. "I'll take it!" She chimed to Thanatos. "When and where?"

"I was hoping you would volunteer, Sam." Thanatos offered a tight smile and focused his attention to the burgundy haired woman who was being hauled up by Lily and Asami. "Follow me." Sam waved the pair, goodbye and followed Thanatos out.

"So, what's the mission?" Sam asked, as she followed him through the corridor of the training facility.

Thanatos remained quiet for sometime and answered. "The queen and king are dead." Sam stopped, a sudden chill swept her. He continued on, ignoring the fact that Sam stopped following him. "The soon to be queen will be needing an escort to the funeral."

"How?" Sam asked, her eyes burned. She glared at the ground, refusing to blink. She was refusing to let the tears fall. To let her grief show. For the queen and king that took her in as a child, feeling sympathy for the orphan they found in a lab. She was raised in the castle along side the princes and princess. Raised like she was their own child. Thanatos teaching her, everything he knew to become a pro hero.

"The autopsy results are at the lab now." Thanatos turned back to Sam and muttered. His hardened gaze softened in sympathy as he watched her struggle with her grief. "A strand of the flu is what we suspect. Nothing any of us could do to prevent it."

"Alright." Sam swallowed, hard but forced herself to meet Thanatos' eyes with unshed tears. "When's the funeral?"

"Two days from now." Thanatos continued. "We must show that England will remain strong. We can't show weakness, we must endure." He held out a file for Sam to take, full of the details of the funeral.

Sam nodded and took the file with a grim face. "We must endure." She whispered, back. She understood what Thanatos meant and took his seemingly harsh words to heart. Sam headed home for the day. Sam bought some fish and chips on the way home. James wasn't home, he sent a text to Sam earlier that day, saying he was following a lead about a serial killer that the media was currently obsessed with, a Ripper or something. So, she spent an evening looking over the file that Thanatos gave her and memorizing each detail with a fine toothed comb. The file labeled as Operation Avalon. Sam fell asleep with the aid of a large bottle of Jack clutched in her fists.

Sam woken to the harsh coldness of something large. She cringed and moved to escape. The foreign and frozen object followed. Sam growled. She kicked at it and it returned. "James..." Sam snarled, lowly. A sleepy rumble in the back of her throat. She flinched as the frozen object brushed her feet. She allowed it to rest against her feet and once it stilled. Sam pushed, kicking out with her legs. The undesirable object shot out from under her covers and a grunt resounded in her room.

"Damnit, Samantha." James grunted.

"What the hell?!" Sam growled back. She glared at her alarm clock and then at her hunched roommate. "It's three o'clock in the bloody morning, James!"

"Get up." He groaned out, reaching a hand to snatch her comforter. "We're getting breakfast."

"Again, three o'clock!" Sam snapped at James, she tugged back on her warm blanket but the warmth was fading away. "What the hell was that?!"

"It's our Thanksgiving turkey." James grunted and yanked the plush, soft silver blanket away from Sam. "Now, get up!"

That was how Samantha Pond ended up at a nearby IHOP at three thirty in the morning with bags under her eyes and still decked out in her jammies. She just ordered some strawberry and chocolate pancakes and got started on doctoring her coffee to repress her murderous intention to James and rise up to being a normal functioning citizen of society. "I hope you know that you are paying by the way." Sam grumbled over the rim of her coffee cup. "Why in all that is good in this universe did you wake me at the literal ass crack of dawn?"

"You know who called me today?" James asked as he picked around his fruit plate. Sam watched as he plucked a large slice of honeydew to munch on. "Well, yesterday? Thanatos."

Sam eyed her friend, warily. "So?" She didn't really like how this conversation was heading.

"Me and Thanatos don't necessarily get along." James continued. "But we manage when it comes to you or hero work and guess who came by new Scotland Yard? Thanatos, he told me about the King and Queen."

Sam held James' gaze for a second before looking out the dark window, watching the street lamp flicker. "And? The whole country knows at this point." James sighed and opened his mouth to continue when their waitress bumped up to the table with Sam's towering stack of strawberry and dark chocolate pancakes topped with whipped cream, strawberries and chocolate chips. The pancakes were dosed in strawberry sauce and dark chocolate syrup.

She set the stack in the middle of the table and two separate plates in front of Sam and James. Sam frowned at the offering, she pushed the serving plate away and tugged the pancakes closer to her, the waitress blanched a little but a smile sprang back.

"Here you go, sweeties." She chimed, side eyeing Sam as she ate the pancakes right off their original plate. "Anything else I can do for you?"

"No, ma'am." James flashed a sympathetic smile and glared at Sam.

"More coffee?" Sam asked, inclining her head toward her near empty cup.

"Coming right up, dear."

"Seriously?"

"You were the one to wake me up at an ungodly hour." Sam pointed out and yawned, loudly. "I do have a mission two days away. I need to prepare."

"Yeah and sleeping helps?" James snorted and drank from his tea.

"It is when you have my quirk. The more energy, the more I can produce." Sam mumbled and stabbed a particularly large strawberry off of her plate and collected a chunk of pancake and whipped cream on the end of her fork. "You should know that by now, James."

"Sam..." James stared for a second and blinked. "Wanna hear about my case?"

Sam quirked an eyebrow. "Sure?" Confused at the sudden change of subject. So, the flat mates talked about everything and simply, enjoying each other's company. James offering Samantha, his support and Samantha leaning on that shop. They did this until the sun lit up the world. Light dancing off their table, chasing away the brisk cold of night. Pancakes and fruit long gone. Sam had gone through several cups of coffee and James with his tea came and gone. The thought of sleep was a distant memory. Their waitress had been dropping hints to leave.

"How about we get you ready for your mission?" James proposed, sliding out of his booth and offered Sam, his hand.

"Alright."


	7. Operation: Avalon

Samantha Pond sat in the sitting room, fiddling with her cup of tea. She loved this set and Princess Eliza knew it. Beautiful teals that were framed by gold. Elegant and not too dainty but not as flowery as other sets that the Queen had possessed. Sam was spending a night at the place. The monarchy was mobilizing early tomorrow for the funeral and a invitation was extended by the princess and princes. To refuse an invitation from royalty, much less the soon to be Queen was practically treason to the crown and rude to her longest friends. She excepted without much thought and that left James annoyed and alone in their flat.

Now, she waited for her hosts and hostess to arrive. Sam admitted that the teal set was her favorite set but she did love the changing colors of the fire opal set laced with silver. She just loved tea sets and tea. Sam doesn't have much time for admiring tea sets or browsing tea shops anymore. She keeps herself busy with hero work.

Sam even dressed for the evening occasion. Soft lace white dress hung off her slim form. Sam wore a knee length, no shoulder dress. She tucked her hair up into a tight bun, allowing soft tresses to frame her heart shaped face. Deep metallic burgundy lip gloss lined her lips, making her pale skin pop. Shimmering rose gold eyeliner lined her eyes with black mascara. Any chance to dress up was a good enough reason for Sam.

The large oak doors creaked open and Samantha jolted out of her thoughts. Eliza glided in, followed by Fredrick and William. Samantha drew to her feet and Eliza walked into her arms. "I'm sorry, Liza." Sam mumbled into Eliza's shoulder as the girl's shoulders shook in silent sobs. "I'm so sorry." Sam noticed the brothers eyeing the elaborate rugs with faint blushes. She beckoned them to the hug. Will and Fred shook their heads and joined in the mass hug. They broke apart and sat by the oak table and tea was poured. Fire light from the old stone fire place cast dancing shadows over the dimly lit room.

"Are you ready for tomorrow?" Sam asked with a soft hum the trio as she doctored her tea. "The weeks to come?" Deep burgundy eyes traveled over three faces, noting any signs of grief. They lost both parents in one night, a strike many others would never recover from.

"As ready as I'll ever be?" Eliza answered smoothing her night gown. Unlike Sam, the royal siblings opted for night wear for tea which was probably far more expensive that Sam's dress. The princess's fair blonde locks hung down in an unkempt and limp manner. Her green eyes were slightly bloodshot, Eliza would have trouble getting ready in the next eight hours. "How about you? Body guarding the funeral and then my coronation."

"As ready as I'll ever be." Sam responded with a small grin, taking a sip of cooling tea. "There's only so much you can prepare for. Operation Avalon is an excellent plan and I'm honored to play a role."

"If mum were alive..." William began, setting his cup on his saucer. "She would scold us for grieving and tell us to keep marching on."

Fred laughed. "Remember that time when Eliza and Sam were gallivanting in the gardens-?" He started.

Sam snorted into her cup. "Gallivanting?"

Fred threw a cookie at the laughing women. "Yes! And when mum found you, she started to lecture the two of you for two bloody hours!"

"I always aimed to forget that." Sam muttered, taking a bite out of the cookie and chasing the dryness away with tea. "'A proper English lady mustn't play in the dirt.'" Sam mimicked.

"'I thought I'd taught you better! Now you're covered in mud and muck!'" Eliza finished with a small brittle laugh. "'Get inside and in a bath, this instance!'"

"'Wait 'til your father hears about this!'"

Sam's smile slipped away as the four remembered bittersweet memories of the former King and Queen. "I remember when George would take us to one of those arcade pizza places. We'd eat far too much junk food than we should and play to our hearts' content. Then we win toys and go home. Tell Mary that nothing happened and that we went horseback riding." Sam smiled. Fred's hand laced through hers and he offered her a tight, comforting smile. She offered a smile in return.

"To Mum and Dad." Eliza murmured, raising her cup up and Sam and the boys raised theirs, echoing her toast.

"Well, if we're toasting." Fred said. "We'll need something a lot stronger."

Sam stepped out of the sleek black Land Rover after Eliza and smoothed her black and sliver dress down. She tucked a stray strand behind her ear and quickly checked her makeup in the blacked out window. She chose a similar makeup from last night for the funeral. "Arthur, do you copy?" An ear piece in her ear buzzed. Her stomach knotted with nerves, her gaze flitted over each visible member of Operation: Avalon. All of the members were professional heroes like herself or special forces.

Sam kept her eyes trained on the royal trio and answered. "Arthur here, Morgana on her way to chapel." Her eyes flickered over to the trailing figure of Asami Shimizu. Sea foam eyes met hers and Asami nodded. The blue haired woman kept her distance from the royal family but close enough to quickly intervene if need be. Sam couldn't shake the bad feeling in her gut.

A pair arms looped through both of hers. Sam glanced at the queen to be and her brother. "Remember that you're hear to attend this funeral too, Sam." Eliza chided, softly. Not looking directly at Sam and waving to the commonwealth. "Not just to work."

Sam sighed and nodded. "Alright."

"It's Militia!" One voice in the crowd cried, somewhat surprised. Sam beamed a smile and waved the best she could with Eliza and Fred on her arms. "And Nautica!" Sam sweat dropped as hey spotted Asami, she supposed that it was almost certain that the pro heroes on Operation: Avalon. Also a plus, pro heroes were going to attend and on the guest list. Why not have them protect the royalty while they attend? The special forces part of the operation was mostly covert, hiding among the staff.

The crowd was deafening, roses and signs waved high in the air. They were showing there respects for their queen and king. As has the whole country with shrines of sweet smelling candles, flags and bouquets in the past couple of days. Sam followed the trio in through the larger than life doors of the cathedral. Eliza led the way to the front pew, past the colorful assortment of flowers and the shades of black of mourners. They settled in between the royalty. Samantha watched the two black caskets in the front of the altar.

Sam looked up to a statue of a crying angel, with a heaviness in her heart.

Sam stared, blandly out of the window of the Land Rover. The ceremony went by in a blur. Several speakers of government figures and of royalty. Most were devoid of emotion that sucked the life out of Sam. Some made Sam want to cry and never stop. Then some just droned on and on, lulling San to sleep. It was over before Sam registered that it began. Now, a convoy of identical Land Rovers, police cars and a hearse were heading towards the cemetery to put the King and Queen to rest. Something moving caught Samantha's eye further up the road and she turned slightly. Burgundy eyes widened and her head snapped to the opposite side of the Land Rover. Seeing the same as the other side. "Oh, shit!" She breathed, "Everybody! Get down-!" Sam threw herself at Eliza, a shield forming in each hand.


	8. Avalon has Fallen

A/N: I had a lot of this done but Wattpad was a little shit and deleted a lot of it! So, I was frustrated at the story and Wattpad because I felt like it was great, so this took a little long. This isn't the first time that Wattpad deleted my work, urgh. Enjoy!

The first impact jostled the passengers. Glass shattered inwards and metal crunched around them. The driver tried in vain to regain some control but another van slammed into the other side and they spun and then flipped. Sam was thrown into the side of the vehicle. Her head slammed into the framing and she saw stars. An explosion rocked her world and her ears rang. Sam gave a shrill cry of pain as something impaled her side. Black spots speckled her vision after what seemed like forever, the world stilled.

Samantha allowed adrenaline to over ride her pain and she spotted Asami dragging Fred out of the destroyed vehicle. Sam spotted Eliza with a trail of blood oozing down her forehead in the seat next to her and Sam lurched forward. A saw ridged knife in her hand, Sam cut away Eliza's seatbelt and snagged her wrists. Sam thanked whatever god was out there that the crumpled Land Rover landed upright. Black armor formed around her, Sam lashed out a kick and the door shot off the hinges. Sam dragged Eliza out of the wreckage as soon as she was out, Sam tossed Eliza over her shoulders. Sprinting over to where Asami was standing. She set Eliza down, next to Fred in an alley.

"I'm going for William, stay with them!" Asami shouted over the roar of the flames. Sam nodded and watched Asami sprint over to the Land Rover.

The two vans that hit Sam's Land Rover were still in driving condition. By the destroyed cars, this was planned. The convoy decimated by bombs, if Sam had to guess. Probably at the security check point. Sam looked over the wreckage and gunfire peppered the building next to her. "Shit!" She cursed. A pistol forming in her hand, she returned fire. Sam crouched in front of Fred and Eliza, her burgundy gaze landed back on the vans. Four assailants stood, firing off their rifles.

Fred stirred. "What happened?" He grunted, Sam formed another pistol and tossed it and her ear piece to him. Fred caught it. "What's going on?"

"No time!" Sam growled firing off a few shots, watching them duck behind the van for cover. "Get you and your sister out of here!" She banished her pistol and a rifle formed in her grip. She pulled the slide and a bullet was ejected. Sam tossed the bullet to Fred. "Hold on to that! We'll catch up to you!"

"Will-"

"Now! We got him!" Sam growled. She let loose a torrent of fire on the two vans. She heard Fred dragged his semi-unconscious sister away and further down the alley. The attackers seemed less interested in her at the moment and more interested in Asami fishing Will out of the wreckage. Asami wasn't too far from the alley, 15 to 20 paces away. A good distance for someone with dead weight. Her quirk could aid her but she would need cover and support. Sam held the rifle in a one handed grip and a circular shield formed in her free hand. "Asami! Catch!" She tossed the shield and Asami flashed a grateful smile. A riot shield formed around Sam's armored forearm.

Sam moved fluidly towards the vans, bullets rained upon her shield and she returned the fire. She was close enough, one moved to her and she smashed the shield into him, crushing his nose in the process. He crumpled to the pavement. A bullet tore into the knee of another one, another pierced his shoulder and he screamed. Sam wasn't aiming to kill. A large man came around the van to meet Sam. Sam fired two shots that ricocheted off his body, the man flashed her a predatory grin. He moved towards her and she popped off a few more shots that barely phased him.

Sam slung her rifle back behind her, settling against her armored back. A stupid idea was always better than no idea, Asami always said. Sam launched herself at him with her riot shield and a small grenade formed in her hand. She clipped it to his belt and pulled the pin. Sam danced back and dived away, putting the riot shield in front of her and the explosion. Sam gritted her teeth and stumbled back. One of the white vans was over on it's side. The last of that van's perpetrators were pinned under, her previous assailant was a smoldering mess on the pavement.

Sam turned and saw that she now had the other van's attention. "Shit." She cursed. Sam grabbed her rifle and slung it around, planting it into her shoulder. One bullet impacted the goon's shoulder, another more grazed his neck and two in his friend's knee and chest. One lunged and Sam let her rifle drop to her side, still strapped around her. Her armored boot smashed into his knee, he screamed as the joint gave in to Sam's forceful kick. A metal bat slammed into her back and Sam stumbled forward, a short sword forming in her hands. The blade slashed across the first attacker's chest. Sam swung around and brought her arm up to block the on coming blow from the second. She thrusted her blade into the man's side and he hit the ground with a shriek.

Sam watched the last man standing with a calculating glare. He wasn't afraid. He was calm. Resolved and unafraid of Militia in front of him. He wasn't panicked and frenzied as the men that came before him. She spun her blade around, waiting. Sam wasn't going to take a chance, letting him move to see what he was so sure about. That's when the nausea hit. Bile filled Sam's throat and her burgundy eyes watered. Her vision blurred but Sam saw the man grin down at her. Her stomach lurched and Sam fought the urge to vomit. The man moved towards her and Sam tried to move but her legs trembled and gave out. Sam hit the ground and her muscles quivered, weakly. She raised her blade and the man batted her arm down. The blade clattered to the pavement.

Sam's head was yanked back by her hair. She didn't have the energy to fight against him. All Sam wanted was for the world to stop spinning. A blast of high velocity water slammed into him and he shot into the building across the street. Shimizu Asami once again saved Samantha Pond's life. Sea foam eyes swarmed in Sam's vision. "Come along, Pond." Asami grunted, hauling Sam away from the carnage. Sam stumbled along side the heroine.

"Will!" Sam gasped, the nausea was fading from her and reality slammed into her. "Where's Will!"

"Dead, William's dead." Asami stopped and yanked Sam back at her side. She felt sick, all over again. Sam sucked in a sharp breath but Asami refused to allow her to turn back to the wreckage. Sam peered at her friend, who gazed ahead at approaching vehicles. "Help's here? That's an awfully quick reaction time."

"It did seem like the fight was over fast." Sam muttered, catching on to what Asami was hinting. She brought her rifle in a ready position in front of her.

Bullets sprayed at the pair, peppering the ground at their feet.

"!" Asami lunged towards the alley, Sam in tow. Several jets of water shot toward the cop cars, fire trucks and ambulances.

"So, I guess that tells us that the emergency services are comprised." Sam growled, backed to a brick wall. A large barrel materialized in Sam's hands. Almost as tall as the woman and as thick as both of her thighs. Sam planted the launcher to her shoulder. Asami and her peered around the corner, watching the fob emergency services surround the vans and Land Rovers. Asami raised a eyebrow at Sam's choice of weaponry. "What? That'll keep them busy for a bit." Sam protested with a glare.

"Alright, have at."

Sam aimed at the fire truck, right behind its cab. It was the biggest, she was betting that it would cause the most chaos. She slowed her breathing to even breaths. She drew one in a held it and as she exhaled, she pulled the trigger. Smoke billowed out in the alley, obscuring the pair from enemy view. Sam could see that her shot made it's mark. Sam didn't have time to see what it had done as Asami dragged her further down the alley.

"Where's the princess and prince?" Asami barked. "We need to find them."

Sam found her feet and yanked herself out of Asami's grip. "Hold your damn horses." She grumbled, quite disgruntled at their situation. She pulled her rifle and unclipped a small hand sized pad from the stock. Sam turned it on and showed Asami. "I've been using tracer rounds. I gave on of my bullets to Fred. We can track their location and our enemies."

Asami took the pad with a approving hum. "Smart." She nodded. "Let's go." Asami spun and lead the way out of the alley at a brisk pace, leaving Sam to follow.

"I know a place we can go to lie low until this blows over." Sam grumbled, keeping her rifle at the ready and an eye out for hostiles behind them. "The city is going to fall into chaos." She ignored the throbbing in her side. She could hear explosions and screams in the distance, why today? Who was attacking London?

"Okay." Asami said. "If the emergency services are comprised, who knows what else is. We'll get the royal siblings and hide. Where did you have in mind?" She murmured in agreement.

"My apartment isn't that far." Sam muttered, softly. Samantha tried desperately ignore Asami's curious glance. The pair moved across the smoke hazed streets. Sam shook her head, this much catastrophe in that short of a time? Samantha could hear everything but couldn't see worth a damn. Sam brought her rifle to her shoulder and flipped through the optics until she found a setting that cleared the murkiness. Sam couldn't see anyone, other than Asami. Civilians must be hiding. Sam winced, a hand falling to her side as a jagged stab of pain hit her. Sam took a shaky breath in. Sam tried her best to ignore and kept moving.

"They're in there." Asami whispered, nodding towards a small three stories building. The pair sprinted across the street. Asami tried the handle but it was locked. "Princess! Prince! It's me, Asami and Sam!"

"Proof!" Came the sharp response of Fred.

"I was your first kiss, you were dating a duchess and you didn't want to screw it up." Sam spoke up, her cheeks burning. "So, I offered to teach you." Sam could hear furniture sliding around and the door opened to two disgruntled royals. Sam snorted as Fred tried to smack her, she batted his hand away with a smirk.

"Where's Will?" Eliza asked, noticing that there were only two at the doorway and not three. No sight of her brother.

Sam's heart ached. Eliza and Fred already lost so much in this week alone. Sam stepped forward and the world spun...


	9. The Story of Tonight

Notice: Strap in for a bumpy ride.

Also, some references to Hamilton in this chapter. I love Hamilton!

P.S. This arc should be concluded in at least two more chapter, including this one. Three at tops. Then more Aizawa and USJ arc which I already have planned as well as a brief arc break, so small. Just a chapter long. This arc is up to four chapters, not too bad. So five or six as an end result.

Samantha woke up in a bed, feeling drained but otherwise comfortable. The comforter was soft and the bed was plush. It was her bed. Sam frowned and pulled herself up, wincing.

"You should stay down, we took a metal rod out of your side." A voice warned and Sam turned her burgundy gaze to Asami who was leaning against her door frame. "We don't know the extent of the damage yet."

"Okay." Sam nodded. Logical. "So, we made it to my apartment."

"Yeah." Asami nodded, pushing off the door frame and to the window by Sam's bed. "That was a full and expansive medical kit you had." She remarked, making her way to Samantha's bed.

Sam blushed. "Yeah, with my health condition me and James keep one stocked in the apartment at all times for emergencies." She explained, pulling herself up into a sitting position. "To keep out of Lily's hair as best we can. She does so much for us, already." Sam flushed in gratitude for the woman, keeping her as a patient for so long. Floorboards creaked and Asami kept an eye on the doorway, ready to protect Sam if any hostiles came through. No hostiles came, Eliza poked her head into the room. Asami relaxed her tense stance.

"How are you?" Eliza asked in a small voice. Sam could see that the queen to be's eyes were big, red and puffy. She knew, of course she knew. Asami probably told her at some point when Sam was asleep.

"I should be asking you that." Sam mumbled, glaring at the wall behind Eliza. "I let you three down."

"You did your job, Sam." Eliza started, a hiccup escaped her. A strange hardness entered in Eliza's eyes as they met Sam's burgundy gaze. Sam would almost describe the look as cold. "No one will blame you for Will's death." Sam watched her, silently. She acutely recognized the major issue in Eliza's statement, being around James and his deduction quirk for so long. Sam could tell from her stiff stance, her glacial tone and that damned look in her eye. No one would blame Militia for the death of the prince but Eliza would blame Samantha Pond for the death of her brother. To be frank, Sam didn't blame her. She too, blamed herself.

Sam could deal with that hate for now, fix her relationship with Eliza after she eliminated the very real and present threat against the crown. "Alright-"

"No, mum." Asami interrupted Samantha. Sam shot her friend a glare to drop the subject. "No one should blame Militia for William's death because that death rests on my shoulders. Sam was covering me during that fire fight, I was the one that failed to save Prince William's life."

A flash of defiance lit up Eliza's eyes but she remained silent. She gave a short, dismissive nod to Asami. Sam translated that to mean that she gave zero fucks about what Asami thought. The soon to be queen turned to Sam. "What's our next move?"

"A safe house, firstly." Sam grunted, swinging her legs over the bed despite Asami's protests. "Give me, an hour or two to gather my strength." Samantha gritted her teeth as she stood up, she turned and faced Eliza.

"We'll go to the safe house and gather strength, then we'll head to the underground." Sam explained, further. Sam shuffled to the edge of her bed, she leaned against the bed framing for support. Trying her best to ignore the stabbing pain in her side. "We had set up an emergency rendezvous at zero two thirty. Precautionary measures that Operation: Avalon had set in place."

"I never asked during the briefing but what does Avalon stand for?" Eliza asked, moving back out of the doorway into Sam's hallway.

Sam offered a knowing smile to the princess. "The American have Olympus." She started, softly. "Their capital is known as Olympus to the secret service agency, the President is Zeus, the all powerful god of gods. We have Avalon. London is Avalon." She straightened, food was first and foremost on Sam's mind. Replenish her strength so that she could fight. She had food pills developed but they only gave short bursts of energy and left Samantha feeling sick and depleted.

Eliza nodded, satisfied and disappeared into Sam's living room. Asami followed Sam into the hall and into the kitchen. "How is everything out there?" Sam asked as she moved to the fridge, pulling out her leftover triple meat and onion pizza and a sealed bowl of ranch and tobasco mix.

"This terrorist group or whatever they are is crawling through the streets, the military is trying gain control but..." Asami trailed off. "It's bad."

Sam dipped her pizza in the spicy ranch and started to eat. "How bad?" She asked, not truly wanting the answer.

"If I had to bet, I'd say that they've been infiltrating and planning this for sometime now." Asami replied, stealing one of Sam's sodas from the fridge. "Something set these people off, I don't know what." The navy haired woman leaned against the countertop, next to Samantha.

"Revenge?" Sam inquired, finishing off her slice and going for another. "I have to agree with you, they must have something against the royals or with the government." Both woman jumped at the ringing of Samantha's phone.

Asami and Sam stared at the offending device. Sam plucked it off the counter and answered. "Hello?" She drawled.

"Sam! Thank God I got a hold of you!" James exclaimed. "Are you alright? Where are you? The whole country is looking for you!" Sam was thrilled to hear his voice.

Sam opened her mouth to answer and paused. Could she trust him? Or rather, could she trust the technology? "We're okay, James and I can't tell you where we are but we are safe." Sam breathed, should she tell him about Will? "We need to make this quick."

"Okay." James agreed, not questioning Sam's lack of faith. "The Queen and King were murdered." Sam froze, ice forming in her veins. So they were right. These people had been planning this.

"What?" Asami hissed.

"They were poisoned, the royal medical examiner was found dead in the Thames with the real documents. Multiple attacks have been occurring on the royal family in the past couple of hours. Domestically and on foreign soil." James rushed out. "This was their game from the beginning, whoever they are. I'll call you with more details later as we find them but this is huge. Bye!" And so, James hung up. He left the pair of pros stunned.

"That answers that, then." Sam muttered with a deep frown on her face. She plucked another slice of pizza out of the bag and began to eat. "They'll want to take out Fred and Eliza. We need to insure that it doesn't happen. We'll leave within the hour and forgo the safe house stop. The sooner that they are safe in the military's hands, the better it will be for the country."

"Alright." Asami nodded. A deep sigh exited the older woman. "This wasn't how I pictured this operation to go."

"Me either." Sam agreed, pulling the last slice out to eat. Samantha chewed slowly, not liking the pressing issue at hand. "Occupational hazard. We all knew what we signed up for." She mumbled, sullenly. Sam could just picture Will's lifeless corpse in the Land Rover. Bile rose in her throat, Sam set down her last slice of her pizza. Not at all hungry anymore. Asami frowned at Sam's abrupt lack of apatite.

"Have I ever told you about my nieces?" Asami asked, abruptly.

Sam peered at her friend with burgundy eyes, puzzled at the change in subject. "Only every other day." Samantha drawled, sarcastically. "Why?"

"Shimizu Kimiko and Shimizu Rin. They're twins." Asami started, softly. Sea foam eyes gazed down at her soda. "They were targeted by kidnappers when they were five. I was watching them for the weekend and Rin was taken from my very garden, right under my very nose. Rin was taken because of her mother's hero work."

Sam's eyebrows knit together, she never heard of that. Sam couldn't imagine the horror that Asami felt, losing her niece on her watch. She remained silent as Asami continued. "Our whole family shut down their offices and searched for Rin. She was no where to be found. Tsubaki, my sister, even requested her friend, All Might to help search for Rin. Three weeks later and All Might had finally found her. Those men refused to let Rin go without taking something dear to her... One of the villains had a quirk that he used to quake Rin's arm and leg. The doctors had to amputate her mutilated limbs."

"Oh my..." Sam uttered with a gasp, staring with wide eyed horror at Asami. She reached out and grabbed Asami's hand, giving it a tight squeeze. "Asami... I'm so sorry."

"My sister and Rin's sister, Kim didn't know how to treat Rin after she was released from the hospital. Those bastards took so much from her. They didn't know what to do. So, she now lives in New York City under Joanna Crane and Benjamin Strange." Asami explained, quietly. "She's happy there with them."

"Why are you telling me this?" Sam asked.

"Collateral damage, Sam." Asami growled to Samantha. Asami turned to face Sam and heer striking blue eyes seem to pierce Sam's soul. "There will always be collateral damage, working as a hero. No matter how hard you try. You have no sway over who lives and dies. Don't try to."

Sam understood what Asami was trying to say. That Will wasn't their fault and that they did what they could. "Okay... I'll try." Sam nodded. "You and me are going to a pub after all of this."

"I'm fine with that." Asami agreed with a smirk. "I'm going to give the news to the princess and prince." Sam made a small, odd noise of agreement and watched Asami leave her kitchen. Samantha knew she needed to eat more before they head out to try and replenish her energy. She moved to the fridge to hunt down some more food. Sam frowned at the odd stillness in the air, everything seemed to just hang in the air. Eerie, Sam thought.

The air pressed against Sam's cheeks, a strange presence moved behind her and Sam spurred herself into action. Two throwing knives materialized in both of her hands, Sam spun around and threw the blade. It hit it's target, making the woman shriek. The brown haired woman raised her hand at Sam and Sam threw her second blade. Sam's armor started to form around her as she threw her last blade. That blade sunk into the woman's chest as what ever quirk the attacker possessed slammed into Sam, sending the heroine through the wall. Sam crashed through the drywall and broke her living room table with a gasp. Samantha's old wound burned her side and she bit back a whimper.

Sam's head spun and she stared up at three gaping faces. She groaned as her limbs screamed at her to stop and rest. "We have company." She growled, Asami hauled Sam to her feet. Sam swayed once and shook off the ache in her head. Sam looked down and saw that drywall dust covered Sam from head to foot. She grimaced and shook the excess off her form.

The front door flew off it's hinges and Asami and Sam sprang foreword into action. A hundred round tommy gun forming in Sam's hands, she kept the rifle low to her hip for the intense recoil. She pulled the trigger, spraying the entry with bullets. The wise ones stayed out of her line of fire, watching the expendables get peppered. The walls shook as pipes burst under Asami prodding, washing the one who weren't shot by Sam.

"My apartment, Asami!" Sam growled.

"That's why you have insurance." Asami shot back.

"I'm almost positive that renter's does not cover villains!"

Asami laughed and that only pissed Sam off more. "That's why there's never too much coverage." Sam opted threw a nasty glare at Asami, choosing not to continue the ridiculous conversation.

The pair heard Eliza scream and a window break in. Sam kept her focus on the door as Asami turned to deal with the new threat. A scuffle broke out behind Sam and she heard Asami growl. "You!"

The fire escape was blocked by incoming assailants, the front door was blocked as well. Their only somewhat sane option was to the side or down. Sam had a better feeling for going down. She kept one hand on the tommy and several handheld bombs in her free hand. Sam tossed them to the floor, watching the beeps speed up. "Everyone get down!" Sam shouted. The explosion rocked the small apartment and Sam was thrown to the ground, her ears rang. She groaned and looked to where she had placed her bombs. A gaping hole in her floor stared back at Sam. Sam looked back to where Asami had been fighting and saw the woman stumble to her feet. "Asami get the royals down to that unit!" She growled, picking herself up off the floor.

Sam looked back to the door, determined to cover them until they were safe in the downstairs unit. A set of smoke grenades formed in her free hand and Sam tossed them to the entry. Sam heard Asami help Eliza and Fred down to the downstairs unit. She watched the smoke spewed out of the canisters as it obscure the villian's vision as well as her's. The tommy gun's drum emptied and Sam pulled it out and replaced the drum. Keeping her attention on the entry.

Sam heard movement behind her and switched her targets. She turned, aiming the tommy at the fire escape's window but didn't fire. She didn't want a stray bullet to hit her allies. Six men made there way through the window. Two disk shaped bombs formed in her hands, Sam tossed the disks at them. One of them, a dark haired man reached up and grabbed Sam's bombs. Sam frowned as the plastic trembled and shattered under his hands. She watched the remains of her bombs drop to the floor, the man offered a cheeky grin to Samantha. "Well, you're gonna be a pain in my ass." She growled out, watching Asami jump down the hole. They were out of the tommy's firing line. Safe. Sam brought the tommy back up and fired. The quake man dived into the hallway but her bullets peppered into several of his allies who fell to the ground with screams.

"Sam!" Asami called from below. "Come on!"

Sam ran forward and jumped down the hole as a woman reached out for her. She pulled her tommy close to her chest and tucked down as she dropped. Sam hit something soft yet firm with an 'oof'. A plush sofa buffered her fall. She looked up the see green flames shoot above her head, licking at the gaping hole in the ceiling. "We need to go." Samantha mumbled, Asami dragged her to her feet and towards the front door. They needed a way out of there fast. The villians would be right on top of them if they went through the door. The fire escape would be suicidal and only a matter of time before they followed down the hole that Sam made. The only thing stopping them is the fact that Sam might've set traps for them and that would only scare them for a little while. She could hear the rapid movement of footsteps upstairs. A terribly bad idea struck her, she turned to Asami. "How good are you at controlling your quirk in flight?"

"Wha-?"

"How good?" Sam asked, insistently. "Can you control it well under duress?"

Asami stared at Sam for a second and deadpanned. "I'm a pro."

"Good, I had to ask. We're jumping off the building."

"What?!" Eliza and Fred shouted.

"There's a building next door, two stories shorter from where we are now." Sam explained, quickly. They didn't have time to waste. "Not too terrible of a jump, it's not too far. We jump and head to a emergency elevator on the roof, the head to the rendezvous point." Sam explained, impatiently. Sam moved to the exterior floor to ceiling length window, she remembered had correctly. A water tower sat on top of the roof.

Asami and the royal siblings followed. Sam continued. "Asami, you need to buffer our landing. A typical two story fall could break a couple bones. After that, we'll cross the Waterloo bridge and join the rendezvous." Sam looked at the three, Asami nodded. Eliza and Fred looked terrified but they weren't refusing to jump. Sam grabbed a small circular table and threw it out of the window. The glass shattered out, Sam watched the shards and table fall to the pavement. They were at least six stories up, almost no one would survive a fall like that.

"On three." Asami suggested. "Oh, your idea. You go first."

Sam rolled her eyes at the smirking bluenette and bounced on her feet, lightly. "Okay, Step back." Her black chrome wings spread out as far as they could in the tight quarters of the apartment. She put the wings on her permanent hero costume after a villain threw her out of a thirty five story window. Sam thanked whatever God that Thanatos was there to catch her with his shadows or else she would have gone splat on the pavement. "You only die once." She whispered and jumped out of the window, the wings outstretched on Sam's command. Sam glided across to the roof, dropping down to the gravel.

Sam rolled to her feet and looked up at the broken window and at the three pairs of wide eyes on her. The wings tucked back behind her, and she spread her arms wide in a silent question of 'what are you waiting for?' to her companions. Sam raised her tommy a popped off a few shots at the water tower, she watched the water pour out then the water moved from the natural course of nature.

Sam watched Eliza jump out of the window and the water reach out and caught her, midair. Sam reached out and helped Eliza to her feet. Fred came next, landing on his back. Sam watched Asami prepare to jump. Something caught her eyes and green flames shot out of the window, towards Sam. "Shit. Fire and water damage." Sam mumbled to herself with a small smirk, shoving Eliza and Fred out of the way. Narrowly missing being burnt to a crisp by raging neon green flames. "Come on!" Sam dragged the pair to the elevator. A risky move on their part but the quicker they could get out of this, the better.

Asami was carried to the rooftop by gentle waves from the water tower. The water continued to carry the heroine to the elevator. "Let's go." Asami hummed.

"Show off." Sam mumbled before jabbing at the button marked G1.

Cheery elevator music broke the stiff silence. Sam stopped herself from snorting and occupied herself by reloading the tommy gun. Asami meet her eyes and Sam broke into a loud laugh. Asami followed shortly behind her. The cheery tune was so out of place in the situation that Sam had to laugh. "Have you lost your minds?" Eliza asked, confused. Sam had to grip the rails to stop herself from falling on her bum. Asami fought to compose herself.

"Maybe." Sam wheezed, loudly. "We are all a little mad here." That sent Asami into another wave of laughter and giggles.

"Come on, you are grown adults." Eliza reprimanded.

Sam forced her breathing to even out and calm down. "Yeah." She panted, a wide smile still on her face. "Let's get you to the rendezvous."

Ding!

The four exited the elevator into a parking garage. Asami fell back to the rear and Sam took the lead. Eliza and Fred kept to the center for safety. Sam led them silently out of the garage and down the street. The street like the last time was deathly quiet. Not a soul in sight for miles. Night was fading. Dusk was rising in the distance. Everything was to quiet for Sam's liking.

Sam moved around the sidewalk towards the bridge. She kept herself small and crouched. The tommy still in her clutches. At the base of the bridge, Sam sprinted up the incline. She was eager to meet the rendezvous and get it over with. To go back to her apartment or a hotel with her best friend as her roommate. Eating IHOP at three in the morning. The shuffling of footsteps behind her told her that they were following.

Half way up the bridge, they showed up. A thick, unnatural mist fell over the Waterloo bridge. Sam tensed in wait. Her signature sword formed in one hand and the tommy supported against her hip in the other. "Get ready to run." Sam muttered. The royals gave stiff nods and Asami flexed her fingers.

The mist swirled and forms sprinted out. Sam lunged forward a slash cutting them down. Asami moved and struck down several other figures behind them, the royals smushed between the pro heroes. They moved quickly, both heroines defending their charges. The bridge quaked about half way up the bridge, Sam stumbled. Finding it somewhat difficult to keep her feet under her. The concrete trembled under them and broke apart. The pair looked back and Asami let out a soft growl. The man from the apartment, the one that destroyed Sam's bombs. A violent shudder sent Sam, Eliza and Fred to the ground. Asami said something that Sam couldn't hear.

Sam didn't remember much after that. She remember the bridge was collapsing and Asami used water to stabilize and something heavy slammed into Sam, throwing her and the nobles off the bridge. The last thing Sam remembered was a smile of Asami's face and then nothing as she met the pavement...


	10. Tomorrow, There will be more of us

A/N: I don't think the ceremony is accurate, don't be offended if it isn't which it probably isn't. I'm sorry in advance. If anyone knows what it entails, please let me know! Also, this is the last chapter in this arc! Yay!

"There will always be casualties."

Water reached out of the river, holding the bridge up. Asami was the only thing keeping the bridge from collapsing and sending everyone and the bridge into the river. Sam and the royals fell to the ground as the Quake villain sent another rough tremor through the broken rebar and concrete. Sam helped them to their feet, she turned to Asami. A soft, gentle smile graced her too pale face. A smile that didn't match her current, strained appearance. The strain of the bridge was too much for the water heroine. Sam frowned, moving towards the heroine and a large wave of water slammed into her, throwing her and the nobles off the bridge. The rush of falling through the air zinged through Samantha, adrenaline pulsed through her as panic took over.

Samantha Pond jolted up with a short scream, sweat coating her shivering form. Dark red strands plastered to her scalp and nape. Sweat soaked her silky, champagne colored pajamas. A hand went to clasp the necklace dangling from her neck. A necklace that Asami had given to her on her twenty first birthday. A large aquamarine gemstone surrounded by smaller aragonite gems. The necklace had an unrefined, yet elegant feel to it. The gemstones that Asami found with her quirk or so she had claimed. Asami had teasingly called the necklace the heart of the ocean with the blueness of the aquamarine and the heart shaped cut.

This dream was the same dream Sam has been having all week at the hotel. The death of Shimizu Asami whose body they had found on the sandy banks of the river, a day after the bridge's collapse. A week had passed since the attack at the funeral. A week since the death of William and Asami. The whole country grieved for their loss. Sam hated that, the citizens didn't know them like she had.

The hotel's door across from her bed flung open, James barged in with his government issued pistol gripped tightly in his hands, ready to attack any intruder. "Sam?!"

"James?" Sam asked, weakly. Sam hadn't been as quiet as the previous nights, she guessed. She must had woken James. Guilt gnawed at the heroine. She shivered at the harsh bite of cold against her damp skin. "Why? It's not fair, James. Why?" She whispered, hoarsely. Her burgundy eyes blinked back unshed tears that welled up in the corners of her eyes. Sam furiously wiped at the tears, she hadn't cried since that day, not yet. Sam couldn't for the life of her could figure out why Asami. Why was it Asami and not Sam that had to die.

James' face softened and he let the pistol fall to his side. He moved to the unoccupied spot in her bed and climbed in. A shaky sob escaped Samantha as James pulled her into his arms as he broke down her dam in a way only a few could. "Shh..." James whispered. "Let it out, honey. Just let it all out." Sam cried into his chest. She cried until she couldn't cry anymore, Sam cried until the tears refused to flow and only sobs and violent hiccups shook her entire form. Sam continued until she cried herself to sleep with James holding her close while stroking her hair and whispering calming words of comfort to her.

Morning came, waking Sam up with the trickle of sunlight through the hotel's curtains. Sam blinked, slowly. Her eyes felt dried and stiff from the night before. Her skull pounded with a migraine from dehydration. Sam was thirsty and needed ibuprofen, she normally kept a bottle or two of water by her bed to drink because she snored and drooled that gave her dry mouth. However, when she turned to retrieve her bottle she saw a mass of brown hair next to her with soft mossy eyes staring up at her, Tim. Sam turned the other way and spotted a mass of black hair barely visible under the covers, James. "I rarely wake up with two guys in my bed." Sam muttered, sarcastically. Earning a small laugh from Tim. She turned and prodded James in the side. "James, get up."

He groaned.

"James, we have the ceremony to go to today." Sam growled, the pounding was steadily growing. "I need to get dressed."

"I don't care." He grumbled. "I'm gay." Like that was an excuse to stay while she undressed and dressed for the upcoming event. Sam knew he wouldn't look but that assumption was what ticked her off.

Sam stared at her roommate for a long second, contemplating her choices and then pushed him out of bed. James hit the ground with a thump and Tim giggled at his groaning boyfriend. "Out." Sam ordered. Tim slipped out of the other side of the bed, moving to the door. He didn't really have any sympathy for his significant other.

"Fine!" James huffed, picking himself off of the floor. "Do you have any idea what has been on this floor? What is on this floor?" He corrected with a flushed face.

"No?" Sam responded, not really caring. "Out." She repeated.

"No coffee for you." James growled, spinning with all the drama he could muster and stormed out of the room. James could be such a drama queen.

"I can buy my own!" Sam snapped back at the retreating men, the headache was growing worse at every word uttered.

Samantha's and James' apartment was in ruins, so the insurance company put the two in a hotel until everything was back in place, just like Asami predicted. The room was plain and generic. The only belongings of Sam's was a lone suit case and duffel bag as well as hew possessions. The queen and king had left some things for Sam in their will. The teal tea set and fire opal set were left to her in the will which made countless of related royals pissed beyond belief but not as much as the last. A tiara and a ring. Those two gifts nearly spun the government on it's head. Sam couldn't blame them, they were history. A beautiful tiara that the queen wore on her coronation day. Delicate silvers intertwined within each other like tree branches. Glimmering diamonds and deep, burgundy rubies sprouted across the silver. The crown and the ring were matching sets. A large ruby set in the middle of the silver ring, diamonds and smaller rubies encircled the the larger stone. Sam couldn't believe what they left to her. Sam almost wanted to refuse but Fred refused to let her refuse.

Sam dragged herself to the bathroom with her bottle of water, picking up a bottle of pain reliever and she took four with the whole bottle of water. She stared at herself, at the red, puffy eyes and a dried up nose to match. She had a lot of work to do to make herself presentable.

Sam slipped into a cold shower and out within thirty minutes, she wrapped herself up in a plush towel and began to prep herself. Sam took her time of drying her hair and styling the locks into soft, burgundy tresses that curled around her face. Sam chased several locks to the back of her head then pinned them with a sparkling hair clip. She worked on her foundation and eyeshadow for once, Sam didn't screw up the eyeliner on the first go and the mascara went smoothly on.

Sam left the bathroom with dark purple/burgundy lipgloss in her hand but didn't put it on. She already learned plenty of lessons to know that you did not put on a white dress after you put lipgloss on. Too many ruined and stained clothes had taught her that. She slipped on a simple, modest sea blue dress along with short silver wedges in honor of Asami. Sam stared at herself in the mirror for several minutes, not even looking at herself. She zoned out, not really thinking or feeling about anything.

The knocking on the door jolted Sam out of her mindless thoughts. "I'm coming." Samantha breathed, she grabbed her purse and left the room. "Let's get this over with." She murmured, James and Tim watched her leave with frowns on their faces.

Asami already had a funeral, earlier that week. She had been cremated. A handful of close family and friends sent her ashes off into the sea. Each took a handful to send off on a steep, grassy cliff, offering reminiscing stories of Shimizu Asami. Funny, sweet and sad stories and memories of the water heroine. It was a good funeral, if any funeral could be a good funeral. Sam reflected, Asami would've been proud of it. Yet, the royals didn't see the cozy funeral as adequate enough for England's heroine and pushed for a memorial. The soon to be coronated queen of England insisted on bestowing knighthood to the deceased Asami and Sam. Sam tried to refuse knighthood but Eliza threatened to tossed her into the Tower of London for a week which Sam accepted with extreme puzzlement of the vague, medieval threat.

Samantha knew that the knighthood ceremony for Asami and herself was partly a political move on Eliza's part to show that England was still strong. The whole media was in a buzz about the attack, every reporter wanting a story to tell the world. All for their own legacy and career, not about the losses. Selfish bastards, Sam thought, bitterly.

The chapel that the ceremony was being held at was the same location that the funeral of the king and queen was held. It was only a short, fifteen minute walk from the hotel. A stop at Starbucks made it twenty five.

Sam walked down the street with James on one side and Tim on the other. The men acted like her own escorts, every time when Sam would go out. Those two would insist on going with her as well as having Samantha wedged between them. Sam went along with it for their sakes. This has been a difficult week for all of them. Samantha looped her arm through James and Tim threw an arm over her shoulders because Sam refused to surrender her frozen drink. She offered the men a smile and continued to sip her triple mocha frap.

Once they arrived, Sam and the boys split up. She had to prepare in a side room. The media had already arrived, eager to look for Samantha Pond and Shimizu Rin. The young Shimizu was chosen by Asami's family to receive the award on the behalf for Shimizu Asami. Sam was sick to her stomach as the media wanted to get their grubby paws on a grieving niece.

Sam peered inside and spotted the young Shimizu dressed in blue, sitting on a chair. A deep navy blue that brought out her large blue eyes. She smiled at the girl and sat in the seat next to her. "Hello." Sam whispered. "Nervous?"

Rin blinked her wide eyes up at Sam, Rin offered a small smile in return. "A little." She admitted, Sam spotted the white gloves that stretched up to the sleeve of her dress and dark stockings. The clothing must be hiding her prosthetics, Sam wondered. Rin turned in her chair to face Sam, Sam felt pinned by her imploring blue gaze. Rin was really like Asami. "I have to ask you something, Samantha. I didn't really have the courage to ask during the funeral."

"Ask me anything, kiddo and it's Sam." Sam heard herself saying to Rin before she could contemplate what Rin could want and if she could respond with an answer.

"Was Auntie Asami in any pain?"

A hard lump formed in Sam's throat as she looked down at the blonde girl, surprisingly unexpected. Blindsided by a serious question out of a girl so young. Sam should have expected a inquiry about Asami's death. Her deep, soulful eyes held so much for someone so young. So many years trapped within the young girl. Samantha recognized that haunted look well. It was the one she sees in the mirror, everyday since Sam was little when she was first rescued. Sam shook her head in disagreement. "No, she wasn't. Asami was brave until the end and she died with a smile on her face."

"O-okay." Rin swallowed and bobbed her head in understanding. "Thank you for telling me, my mom wouldn't tell me or Kim about it. Jo and Ben aren't here to tell me the truth... I just wanted to know."

"The truth?" Sam echoed, hollowly. She numbly stared into the sorrowful eyes of Shimizu Rin. "The truth is that Asami saved my life, that day. She saved the prince and princess and as an extension, the country's spirit and soul. I owe her everything for that but she's not here anymore... So, I'll settle for you. Call me if you ever need anything. Anything at all and if I can do it, I will." Samantha swore and at the paling look on Rin's face, she held out her pinky for the girl to lighten her promise as well as to seal the deal.

Rin nodded and locked her pinky within her own. "Okay." She answered, the little girl looked away with a flush of her cheeks. Rin looked back with a determined expression. "I'm going to become a brave hero just like Auntie Asami and you."

Sam grinned at the blinding bright fire in Rin's eyes and ruffled Rin's styled blonde locks. "You'll be a fantastic hero, Rin. Asami will be so proud of you." If Rin made up the next generation of pro heros then everything would be fine.

"Are you two ready?" Sam looked up and spotted the royal advisor standing in the doorway with an ever present frown on her pretty face.

"Yeah." Sam drawled, bringing herself to her feet and offered her hand to Rin. The curly haired blonde grabbed her hand and hopped off her seat.

Together the pair walked down the aisle with all eyes on them, the media vultures with their cameras at the ready and high socialites dissecting Sam and Rin with hungry eyes. Sam let Rin keep a tight grip on her hand as they walked. Rin would squeezed hers every so often and Sam would squeeze back, softly. Sam shot James and Tim, a small smile when the pair past the couple seated amongst a row of London's finest and other pro heroes. Sam and Rin halted at the end of the aisle, in front of Eliza.

The queen to be was dressed in traditional ceremonial robes; soft, creamy whites and light golds colored the fine robes. Slivers embroidered patterns into the rich fabric forming flowers and twisting vines that raced along the hem. A dainty, diamond and gold tiara rested on Eliza's soft blonde hair. Her hair had been pinned and styled back, making her seem more mature and queenly. Elizabeth wore fierce, regal makeup that covered up any signs of bruising from the assault of the funeral. A sign of remaining strength and perseverance.

They had made an exception for Sam and Rin based on the current events and allowed their knighting ahead of the princess's coronation and designated dates of knighting. Nothing about this ceremony was traditional, Eliza had brushed the traditions off by saying England was evolving as it should in the new era. In other words, she would be queen and she could do what ever the fuck she wanted. Every portion of the ceremony had been planned and as expected, security had a significant boost with the mastermind of the assault still at large. Sam disentangled her hand from Rin's and the two knelt before Eliza as they had been instructed, previously. Sam winced as she did so, her side was still tender from where she had been impaled.

"Ladies and gentlemen! We are here today for the knighting of Shimizu Asami and Samantha Pond. Shimizu Asami and Samantha Pond has sacrificed a great deal for this country in this past week. To me and my brother as well. These two heroes have shown their wit, ferocity, loyalty and bravery throughout the catastrophe and disaster. Shimizu Asami paid the ultimate sacrifice and gave her own life to save the spirit of this country." Eliza began, her words rang out. Soft blue eyes glistened in tears that she refused to shed. Sam held the princess's mournful gaze as Eliza looked down on the pair. Her eyes never waved from Sam as if the three of them were the only one in the chapel. "Militia and Nautica have proven themselves to be fierce protectors of England. A powerful army of their own... As well as these two being England's heroines, they are known to many as family, friends, daughters, sisters... which makes the loss of Shimizu Asami, all too painful to bear. So, today Shimizu Rin kneels in her aunt's place to take Asami's title in her stead."

Eliza turned to Nathan Dark also known as Thanatos. He passed a small, blue velvet box to the princess. Eliza turned back Rin and opened the box to Rin, revealing a shining gold medal, beautifully engraved. "I present this to you. I award knighthood upon your aunt, who will always be remembered as a fearless hero of England." Rin took the box with trembling hands and a soft mumble of 'thank you'. Blue eyes stared down at the medal, the only thing offered as an reward of her aunt's death. A small ripple of applause echoed across the crowd, their attention quickly turned to Samantha and waited.

Eliza turned and grasped a beautifully embroidered sword that was offered to her on a pillow by Nathan Dark. Rubies and diamonds littered the golden hilt in a tasteful and showy fashion. A gleaming silver blade stretched out of the glimmering hilt, sharpened to a deadly point. Sam couldn't even fathom how old the blade was. How many men and woman, the blade bestowed knighthood upon. Sam dragged her gaze up to Eliza. Eliza tapped the shoulder of Sam. "I dub thee, Dame Samantha Rose Pond of London." Eliza pronounced as she moved the blade to Sam's other shoulder. "Stand." She ordered. Sam rose to her feet and Nathan held another blue velvet box open to Eliza. Eliza plucked the pin out and pinned the gleaming medal to Sam's breast of her dress. Sam frowned, deeply as she was knighted. She didn't feel any different. Sam didn't feel more noble or brave but above all else, Sam knew she didn't deserve it. Yet, every story needed a hero as every story had causalities and tragedies. Sam was placed in the role of hero and Asami held the role as the hero and the causality.

The after party of the knighting ceremony was dull and passed by in a blur. Rin left with Tsubaki and Kim before anyone of the media could swarm the little Shimizu. Sam made a quick excuse shortly after to Tim and James. Sam had to make a quick promise to meet them at their favorite pub by eight. Sam stopped at a liquor store and bought a bottle of scotch; single malt and expensive. The burgundy haired woman flagged a cabbie down and drove.

That's how Sam ended up on the cliff, clutching her necklace and bottle. "I did said I would buy you a drink after everything and here I am." Sam laughed. The sound itself sounded dead and fake on her lips she pulled out two sake cups. "This is the good stuff, not the cheap sake crap you like but I compromised with these." Sam stared at the setting sun and tears stung her eyes. With shaky hands, Sam poured two glasses of scotch in the red sake cups. Sam sat at the edge of the cliff, she set one cup beside her. The other one she threw back, enjoying the burn.

Sam looked to the horizon; at the gentle pinks, soft oranges and pale yellows that stretched the across the wide sky. The sound of the waves crashing against the rocky cliffs. Sam breathed in and took in the salty scent of the ocean and mossy smell of grass that she sat on. Sam took a long swig out of the bottle. "I'm sorry that this happened to you. I'm sorry that it wasn't me." Sam breathed. "You inspired Rin to become a hero but I think she was already set on that path... Someday, they'll tell the story of tonight. Tomorrow, they'll be more of us." Sam sang, softly. A lone tear slipped down her face and she continued to drink.


	11. A Dinner Invitation

A/N: I love all of the comments and votes! They always make me smile and grin! Always make me eager to continue this story. Thank you all, so much! ️

Samantha Pond woke up with a pounding headache and a serious case of dry mouth. She blinked up at a bright white light, she closed her eyes to block the light. Sam moved and let out a low groan. "You should stay down, Dame." Sam growled at the nickname, squinting her eyes at a frowning James. When did he get to Japan?

"Fuck." She hissed, "What happened?"

"Language, Miss Pond." A weathered voice chimed. Sam looked over a spotted the short, grey haired woman behind James. U.A.'s nurse, Recovery Girl. "You were extremely foolish, today. You didn't take your medication on time and payed, dearly for it." Recovery Girl scolded and moved over to her bed, inspecting her patient.

"Yeah, I know." Sam groaned. "I'm a consecutive, destructive idiot that won't recognize her weaknesses."

"That much is true." James chimed.

"My classes." Sam mumbled, forcing herself to sit up.

"I took care of them." James waved her off and pushed Sam back down on the bed. "Recovery Girl called me and Tim ported me over to finish your classes for the rest of today. I was working on a case, today."

"Yeah." Sam breathed.

"You're lucky that Greene was an old intern of Recovery Girl and she had the medication on hand." James tsked, grey eyes imploring at Sam. "Damnit, Sam." James breathed, his weight dropped back in a visitor's chair. The slim man leaned forward and shoulders slumping as if the weight of the world rested upon his shoulders alone. Sam looked away, ashamed of bringing more trouble on her friend.

Recovery Girl moved away with an annoyed hum. "Lily has been having difficulty with your illness for years, now." She muttered, shuffling over to her file to copy the information gathered. "I'll admit, the sickness has stumped me as well."

"That's fine." Sam waved off her concern and curiosity. "I've been living with it since I was a kid, I'm used to it."

"You shouldn't need to be." James sighed, wearily. Sam reached out to hold his hand, Sam knew he was tired of the same old argument. James wouldn't change his view on her ease with her sickness and neither would she. "I'm glad that you're alright."

"I can't imagine what the other teachers think of me." Sam groaned as she thought about her new colleagues. "The Ripper case reopening, taking a lot of my time and then fainting in the quad."

"Worried, more than anything." James hummed, his thumb drew soft circles in her hand in a brotherly fashion. "I'm sorry for ruining your first week." Sam mumbled a soft, 'don't worry about it' under her breath.

"That much is true." Recovery Girl agreed. "Hizashi and Shouta brought you in, both were worried for you."

"Damn it all to hell." Sam whispered, guilt gnawed at her consciousness. How could she make this first, stressful week up to the teachers of U.A.?

"Language, Miss Pond."

"Sorry." Sam muttered, not feeling too sorry for her mouth. An idea struck the weapon heroine. "James, lemme see my phone."

Calculating grey eyes peered at her and James' hand tightened around Sam's before pulling away to reach into his suit jacket's pocket. "Why?" James asked as he passed over the sparkling red device.

Sam pulled it free and opened messages on James' contact, not looking up to her friend. Sam's eyes darted to the time, damn. School was already dismissed for the day. She started to type up a list of ingredients for dinner and a dessert. Sam could do steak and salad, fairly quickly. A quickly prepared dinner could allow Sam more time to spend on the desserts. "I need you to go to the grocery store for me."

"Again, why?" James repeated.

"I'm going to make dinner for the teachers as an apology." Sam announced with a twinge of annoyance at the questions from James. Sam frowned into her screen as her fingers flew across the keyboard.

"Why?"

Sam sent the message to James, then opening a group message to all of the teachers and typed out her address. Along with a vague message to meet her there for dinner. She sent the message and looked up to James. "What?"

"Why should I?" James inquired. "I already miss a day of work." He pointed out with a frown, glaring at his own phone. James' face softened a little at the screen.

"More reason to do it?" Sam suggested, curious as to why James didn't want to stay. "Please? Or the fact that you had failed to notify me of the new copycat kill? Dinner for the teachers and you? If you don't want too, I can do it." Sam hummed, annoyance flashed

"No, Sam." James mumbled, sullenly. He sighed and tucked his phone back away in his dark grey suit. "I'll do it, I was just curious as to why."

Sam nodded, puzzled at his antics but fished out a key on her key chain and passed it over to James. "Beware of Sasha." Sam hummed and dragged her feet over the bed, trying to pull herself to her feet.

James rolled his eyes as he stood. "She loves me." James' hand enclosed around Sam's arm as she slid out of bed. Sam stumbled, light headed. Bile rising to her mouth. His hand kept her steady and up right, tethering her. "You good to be moving around, Sam?"

"Fine, just blood rushing to my head." Sam lied, watching the hand pull away. Sam hated being sick but most of all, she hated sympathy when she was sick. "How long has it been since the injection, Recovery Girl?"

A wrinkled hand passed her, two venom green colored pills and a glass of water. "Long enough." Recovery Girl chimed her answer. "Take those and you can leave."

Sam tossed the pills and threw back the water, throwing away the plastic glass. "Thank you." She mumbled and moved to the door, "I'll see you at my apartment." Sam fled the room, quickly without looking back. She looked around the hall and moved to her classroom to collect her belongings and papers to grade. Sam locked her room and left for her apartment. A apartment that needed to be presentable before her coworkers arrived for dinner.

Sam hummed, a happy little tune as she cooked dinner. She had scratched the idea of steak with a salad and decided on chicken parmigiana with a light potato soup and salad. Sam came to the chicken conclusion after she settled on making tiramisu for desert. Her signature dish. Everyone at new Scotland Yard knew and loved her tiramisu. Sam's chicken parmigiana wasn't as good as the tiramisu but it was homemade and delicious. Sam had to call James and tell him he change and that caused James to complain and grumble when she called but he did so anyway because Sam's tiramisu was his kryptonite.

A large, furry silver and white object brushed against her legs as Sam stood by the stove. Sam laughed at her pet. "Sasha, I already gave you, your treats and you're not suppose to be in the kitchen. You know that."

The husky whined, ignoring Sam's scold. Sasha looked up at Sam with wide blue eyes and nudged Sam's bare leg with a large, wet nose. Sam cringed away with a giggle. "You are pitiful, dog." James laughed, looking down at Sasha. As if James called Sasha by name, the husky turned and trotted up to James to beg for scraps from the detective with a wagging tail.

James had insisted on staying for dinner after Sam decided on tiramisu. Sam didn't make tiramisu everyday, only did so when requested to on birthdays or holidays. So, when James told his fiancé of this. Tim said he would join them, later for desert. James sat at the peninsula of the kitchen, waiting on dinner and drinking a cup of tea. The chicken was ready for the fryer, Sam was waiting until her colleague to arrived before she cooked the breaded, mozzarella stuffed chicken.

"So, why didn't you tell me about the second copycat kill?" Sam asked, staring down at her boiling pot of noddles. Her voice was steely as her own blades.

Sam peered behind her, watching James take a long sip from his cup of Earl Grey. Her best friend didn't seem flustered at her accusation but she could see the anger burning in his eyes. "I was waiting." James answered, glaring down at his blue mug. "I know you have a lot on your plate and I didn't want to burden that knowledge when you were teaching." A hand reached down and scratched Sasha's head, the husky seemed to know that she was needed at James' side and remained still as she was petted.

Sam's gaze softened at his concern. James forced himself into a older brother role for Sam, just as Fred and William had done, already in her life. They cared for her own well being because they wanted too and Sam couldn't find it in herself to fight that. "Next time, let me decide what I can and can't handle. Okay?" Sam asked, softly.

James looked up, a darkness lurking behind his shining, bright blue eyes. "Alright." He whispered. "We are going to get Jack. Okay, Sammy?"

Sam smiled as James proclaimed this. So full of conviction and determination. "Okay." Sam agreed and turned back to the stove. Sam lowered the temperature on the sauce and pasta and moved to prepare her tiramisu. The soup was warming on the back burner. All Sam had left is the chicken and dessert. The door bell rang, sending Sasha into a barking frenzy. "Sasha! James? Can you get that?"

"Can I?" He retorted, sarcastically but stood up, moving to the door. Sasha bounded forward, barking.

"Sarcasm doesn't suit you." Sam called to James with a roll of burgundy eyes.

"I suit sarcasm." Sam made a face at the childish, illogical response from James and continued to cook. "Welcome to castle of Dame Pond."

"James!" Sam growled out at the nickname, placing the tiramisu dish in the fridge. "I'm going to hit you with the whisk! Sasha! Get back over here!"

"Dame?" A feminine, sultry voice chimed, Nemuri. Sam could hear the approaching footsteps at the entry. Sam looked over to see Hizashi, Nemuri and Shouta at the entrance of her kitchen. James held Sasha by her collar to prevent her from attacking the teacher with slobber. He could barely keep her in front of him. It looked as if Sasha couldn't decide if the teachers were friends or foes to Sam and James.

Another teacher stood by the three, she was tall. Taller than the lanky figure of James. The woman had mystic hair that seemed to change colors as it moved, from space blue to a vibrant green to a rich purple but what struck Sam about her, wasn't her hair. Rather, what struck Sam was her eyes, that sang with a sea foam teal. Same color as Asami's. Sam vaguely recognized the woman as Asami's sister. Shimizu Tsubaki. Sam stared, startled and jolted herself back to cooking. "Hello." Sam muttered.

Throughout the first week of school, Sam and Tsubaki had been playing dodge. Whenever one saw the other, the other would find somewhere else to be. Teacher's lounge, parking lot, quad. Neither woman seemed to want to meet, a mutual avoidance of each. It has worked surprisingly well for both parties, until now.

"You didn't know? Sammy was knighted, several years ago." James chimed, a sharp gleam in his eyes. Sam sighed in defeat, shooting a glare at her best friend.

"Knighted, how curious." Shouta hummed, a strong hint of amusement lit his baritone voice. His friends, however weren't as merciful with the knowledge. Sam shot the three, the dirtiest look she could muster but that didn't even phased the trio.

Hizashi laughed, his voice could barely contain his glee at the new found information. "This opens up so many avenues to tease you, Dame Sammy."

"Quit it." Sam grumbled, turning back to the meal. She could feel her ears burn red like they would burn off her head. "I didn't want to be a knight to begin with."

"No?" Nemuri asked, bending down to let the huffing Husky to sniff her hand. The raven haired heroine smiled as Sasha nuzzled into her hands, accepting Nemuri.

"No." Sam growled. "All of it was a political play by the Queen after the attack... I didn't deserve knighthood, Asami did."

Five pair of eyes watched the weapon heroine standing at the stove with mixed, unsure expressions. "How are you feeling, Sam?" Shouta asked, changing the subject. "Recovery Girl refused to say anything when we brought you in."

Sam shot the erasure hero, a grateful smile. "I'm good, thank you." She grinned at him. "I'm making you all dinner, as an apology for this week. I know I have been troublesome but I promise, this was a one time thing. I will try not to add anything to your plates."

"You haven't been any trouble!" Hizashi and Nemuri chimed, waving Sam off.

"Good."

"Oi-!" They shouted at Shouta's bluntness, even James eyed the man, darkly. "How can Sam control what happens?"

"She can control how she reacts."

"He's right. I have gotten too involved with the Ripper case, over the years." Sam agreed, softly. "That's why I'm making dinner for you all, as an apology."

"It might be because you're harder on yourself than anyone else." James muttered under his breath, the detective gained a few curious glances from the teachers.

"What was that?" Sam asked with a frown.

"Nothing, Sammy. Your tiramisu is fantastic as always." James corrected, sucking on his finger that had been covered by mascarpone.

"James!" Sam scolded but a satisfied blush dusted her cheeks. She waved her whisk at him and James wisely retreated to his counter. "Would you like anything to drink, we have a pot on the stove and pop and beer in he fridge?"

"Thanks!" Hizashi plucked out three beers and a pop out of the fridge, passing them out to his colleagues. "You got good stuff, Sammy!" Sam rolled her burgundy eyes and passed Hizashi, a bottle opener.

Sam set the chicken in to cook and then, washed her hands at the sink. "It's good to see you again, Sam." Tsubaki hummed, softly. "It was a pleasant surprise to see you on the roster for the school year. What has it been? A couple of years?"

"Seven." Sam answered. "It has been a while, Tsubaki." She agreed with the Shimizu woman, as she handed James the silverware to place around the table while she brought the plates around to set the table.

"How do you two know each other?" Hizashi asked, eyes flickered to both woman.

"She and my sister worked close together in London for several years. They worked a mission for the English monarchy that resulted in my sister's death, seven years ago." Tsubaki answered, coolly. The temperature of the room seemed to drop several degrees despite the hot stove and oven. "They received knighthood and Sam was hailed as London's one woman army." Sam winced at the bite of venom in Tsubaki's smooth voice.

"I don't chose what's shown to the greater population." Sam muttered. "The people who matter know what really happened, that's what should count... I've fought that fight with the queen since that day and lost everyday since. They won't change their stance, at the time they needed a symbol of strength. One that wasn't dead or wasn't a native. They used me without much choice on my end and continued to use that image. Asami wouldn't care because that was the kind of woman that she was. I care but I can't change that. Asami was family, Rin is family."

Tsubaki stared, wordlessly at Sam. The tension seemed to unwind out of her muscles. "I know, I understand." Sam nodded, satisfied with the results. That the stepping around the elephant in the rom was taken care of.

"Good. How is Rin? I haven't gotten to talk to her, properly yet." Sam asked and the rest of the teachers' sweat dropped at the sudden change of subject. Tsubaki followed through the change, talking about how Rin was settling back into Japan. Sam insisted that Tsubaki bring Rin and Kimiko over for dinner in the future. The weapon heroine retrieved the other dishes from the counter to place on the table. Tsubaki and Nemuri walked behind Sam. Each of the women picked two other plated dishes and followed Sam to table. The door bell rang, once more. Once again that sent Sasha into a barking frenzy, startling Nemuri. "Sasha! James?"

"I got it." James grumbled with a loud sigh, standing up to stalk over to the front door. "Hello. Welcome to hell, enjoy your stay."

"No tiramisu for you!" Sam called, smoothing a crinkle of the table cloth and straightened an offset silverware. "If this is hell, gluttons never get the satisfaction they crave!"

"Fine!" James called back. "Welcome to Tahiti, it's a magical place."

"I'll take it." Sam approved, her lips quirked up in a smirk.

"Hey, Sam. How are you feeling?"

Sam looked up to Toshinori and smiled, brightly at the frail man. "I'm grand." The rest of the teachers had arrived like a second wave. "Please, sit. It might be a bit of a squeeze if it's too tight, James can sit at the counter." The teachers slowly circled the table and sat.

"Oi~!" He growled. "I'm not going to be demoted back to kiddie table."

"Oh, please." Sam turned and snorted at her old flat mate. "You've been sitting there all afternoon. Plus, the only reason you were promoted in the first place was because you got engaged to Tim!"

James stared at her, eyes wide and jaw slack in disbelief. "I got promoted because I am marrying my way up?!" He gasped.

"Don't act too surprised." Sam tutted. "You're hardly mature."

"I am agog. I am aghast." James cried, holding his hand to his chest. "You know what? I want to sit at the kiddie table."

"Whatever, London's greatest detective. Sit down." Sam ordered, pulling a chair for herself and sitting at the table. James sat next to her with a grumble of 'bossy' and 'I did the salad'. "Alright, we have a potato soup, Caesar salad and chicken parmigiana. Also, tiramisu in the fridge for dessert. Please, dig in!" Sam grinned, proud of the feast she had prepared.


	12. The Letter

A/N: sorry for the delay, I went to New Orleans to visit my family for an extend week and let the good times roll! I love NOLA! I was going to finish up this chapter but I was struck with inspiration for an older fic of mine, Arrows and Riddles. An Arrow/DC fanfic. So, I had to churn out four new chapters for that fic and a second chapter for my Soul Eater fic that I haven't touch in forever. I need to work on the chapters for my other stories. Oh boy, lot's of work to do! Hopefully, I'll post this chapter fairly soonish.

Sam sighed after everyone had finished dinner. She felt heavy and over stuffed with food. All Sam wanted to do was take a long nap. James moaned beside her, "Fuck, Sam. You have out done yourself again." He grumbled, sleepily. "Better than the Christmas dinner of 08, I think."

"Mmh." Sam agreed, softly. She sent a longing look towards the fridge. "There's still dessert in the fridge." Yet, the pro heroine couldn't summon any strength to retrieve the coffee dessert. Hell, Sam didn't even know if she had the room for dessert but she did know that she would make the room. Ectoplasm did have clones to summon with his quirk, Sam thought. Sam peered over to the hero in thought but his hunched form told her, he too didn't have it in him.

"Ugh..." Nemuri moaned from across the table. "Don't talk about food, Sammy... Oof." She exhaled, stiffly.

"I want tiramisu." James whimpered, softly. "But I might explode if I eat anymore."

"That's a good way to die." Ectoplasm joked before his stomach made a loud noise of protest. "Eating to death."

"Or laughing to death." Sam chimed with what should have been a smile but ended up with a grimace. "You can die with killer abs." Hizashi made a wheezing noise that Sam assumed to be a laugh. Sam frowned at the radio star as he gave Sasha a piece of his chicken. "Bad Sasha... You know that gives you gas."

"That was an amazing dinner, Sam." Snipe said, patting his stomach. "Thank you."

"Thank you."

"No problem. Feel free to take some home with you." Sam hummed, weakly and reached for her scotch to wash the last of the chicken down. The door bell gave a cheery chime and everyone looked to the offending door. Sasha didn't even try to bark and James nor Sam moved to answer the door. "Open sesame?" Sam tried and looked to James. "Is that you're other half?"

"I don't know." James yawned back. "And I really wouldn't care if it were." Sam snorted, softly. She could feel the love for his partner. James froze as the door handle turned, creaking as it was turned. Sam glowered at the detective.

"You didn't lock the door?" Sam growled out at James. She knew the answer to that question at his guilt ridden face.

"Now that would be a way to die." Snipe muttered. "Pro heroes killed in home, defenseless due to over stuffed bellies." Nemuri let out a sharp wheeze of a laugh.

"It's Tim!" A light tenor voice called and both, Sam and James relaxed in their seats. "Why isn't your door locked?"

"Your fiancé is a moron, that's why." Sam called back. Sam ignored the annoyed and defiant noise that came from James, yet the man made no move of retaliation against her. "Come say hi but before you do, be a doll and grab the tiramisu? With severing spoon and plates, pretty please?"

There was a confused pause in the forensic specialist's response. "O-Kay?"

"Thank you, love!" James and Sam chimed. James sent a puzzled look over to Sam. "Love?"

"Tim, do you mind if I call you, love?"

"Not at all, it's sweet."

"Alright, honey." Sam hummed, forcing her body into a straightened posture. "To be honest, I regret making that."

"Don't, it was absolutely fantastic." Nemuri hummed. "I'm stuffed." She let out a burp and everyone stared in surprise. Her face flushed scarlet and Sam let out a loud laugh.

"Oh my god!" Sam wheezed.

Laughing echoed the room, "Stop laughing!" She thundered. The laughing only grew louder.

Sam hummed a cheery tune as she washed the dishes. Shouta and Tsubaki insisted on helping her clean up. Sam forced James to help and Tim gladly offered his and his fiancé'. So, she had her own little assembly line of labor to do her biding. James would place the leftovers in containers then to the fridge, Sam would wash the dishes, Shouta rinsed, Tsubaki dried and passed the dishes off to Tim. Tim then placed the dishes back in their designated locations around the kitchen. "How's the Ripper case?" Shouta asked after a few minutes of silence.

Sam bit back the wince at the name. James and Tim stiffened at the mention. "Well, whenever we find the bastard. It'll be the death penalty." James growled, lowly. James used a little more force to scoop the angel hair pasta into to-go container.

"James." Sam and Tim warned, looking over at the detective.

"No." James growled and shook his dark head in anger. "He's all but said that you're his target, Sam. He modeled a murdered prostitute after you... Fuck, the Queen herself will probably order the execution."

"Not very well." Sam answered, eyeing her best friend. James snorted, scornfully. "I believe he has underlings or apprentices working with him. Ever since he fell off the radar. They are helping him upping his killing rate to every other night. That is not public knowledge by the way, that would cause a mass panic that the Yard cannot afford."

"Those vultures would find out someway." Tim said after a long exhale. "Especially, when there is someone within the Yard slipping information out to them."

"I'm going to crucify whoever is behind the leak." James swore.

"Easy, honey." Tim hummed.

"Are you any closer?" Tsubaki asked.

"I think I've uncovered his accomplices' identities." Sam answered. "But all of them are essentially ghosts, completely off the radar. No records of anyone of the suspects after November 5th."

Tim eyed his fiancé with concern and worry for his mental wellbeing. "How about we don't talk about a mass murderer? How's the hero work out here? What's teaching like? I always consider teaching for one of the specialty schools in England."

"Depends on the kids you get." All three of the teachers answered at once and Tim laughed. "I think I figured out that it's not the kids as a whole but rather one class, full of a troublesome bunch." Sam remarked.

Shouta and Tsubaki eyed the weapon heroine. "1-B?" They asked.

"Yep." Sam said, popping the 'p'. "It's like they try to find ways to piss me off. As if it's a game of who can make Pond Sensei's head spin." She grumbled.

Shouta's lips curled in the beginnings of a smirk. "They are just testing you. Seeing how much they can push you." He pointed out, next to the annoyed weapon heroine.

"No shit." Sam growled with a huff. "They're about to get a lot more than they bargained for." She reached down into the water and pulled out the stopper to let the soapy water out.

"I was going to ask you if you could come to my home room. Talk about the hero laws in Europe and America as well as some of your experiences." Shouta asked, glancing over to the burgundy haired woman.

"I could do you one better." Sam said with a smile. "I could come by on my free period and lend you an American hero I know, the Voodoo Queen for the rest of the day if you'd like. Maybe Ben will help too."

James rose an eyebrow at Sam's willingness to promise her friend to help Shouta. The Voodoo Queen or Joanne Crane was a well known curse heroine in America. Shimizu Asami had introduced Sam to Jo several years prior her death. Jo and Sam had become good friends and that introduced Sam to Master Strange or more commonly, Benjamin Strange. The two were Wash-Ham sweethearts that still have yet tied the knot. These two also took Shimizu Rin in after her kidnapping. They helped Rin recover and raised her in America.

Shouta rose an eyebrow. "She can afford to stay away from her agency for a day and not work?" He asked, skeptically.

"Any excuse to see Rin. Plus I think she's going to Wash-Ham to give a lecture on Tuesday. Jo has the time." Sam shrugged, nonchalantly. "When were did you want to do it?" She asked.

"Monday?"

"I'll ask them, tonight." Sam agreed. "If anything, I can do your homeroom."

"Thanks."

Sam bobbed her head with a smile. "Don't mention it."

"Well, I have a ton of papers to grade." Tsubaki announced. "I should get going."

"Same here." Shouta nodded.

"Take your leftovers. You too, Tim." Sam ordered and followed the four to the door. "Have a great night! I hope you enjoyed dinner!"

A chorus of 'yes' caused Sam to laugh in satisfaction and happiness. "Here's you mail, Sam." James passed the bundle of envelopes over and Sam took them. She watched them disappear, Shouta and Tsubaki disappeared as they walked to their apartments, vanishing in the gloom while Tim and James simply vanished in thin air. Samantha stepped back into her apartment and locked the door behind her. She quickly sent a text to Jo about the lecture and scanned over the mail. Most were bills or political advertisements. Sam eyed one made with parchment with interest. She pulled the letter free to see who sent her anything. Sam froze and a loud curse fell from her lips. "Fuck."

A/N: Do you think the queen of England is a friend? Or an foe?


	13. Training with Rin

A/N: wanna get an idea about Rin's jeans? Look up Miss Me jeans. That's what she's wearing.

"I think this is favoritism." Sam frowned, standing in the center of a mat in one of U.A.'s many gyms. She stared across the mat to the young, lanky blonde with brilliant, bright blue eyes.

Sam wanted to catch up with Rin, class and the case hasn't given Sam many opportunities to try. So, Sam extended the invitation for coffee. She was using this to spend time with Rin and distract herself from the letter she received two days ago. Thankfully, Rin had accepted. What Sam had not been expecting is that Rin wanted to be tutored.

"Nah." Rin shook her head. "Not at all, you are just helping me like any aunt would."

Sam blushed, a bit at the mention of aunt and being considered an aunt. "Alright." She hummed her agreement. Sam knew that Blood King tutored class 1-B to improve their odds with class 1-A. This would be merely leveling the playing field. Sam's signature long blade formed in her hands, she settled in a familiar stance. Sam stood, watching a compartment on Rin's leg reveal itself to Rin. Rin pulled out a bo staff out of her leg. "Quirks?" Samantha proposed, she was curious on how Rin's quirk had progressed over the years.

"I don't know how I feel about being curb stomped by you." Rin muttered and chewed her lip in contemplation. "Okay." She conceded.

"Alright." Sam smirked. "Come on then."

Rin frowned at Sam's confident smile, doubting her choices but shoved aside her doubts. Rin lunged forward, keeping her blade in her hands. Her form is good, Sam remarked on observation. Jo has instilled good foundation in her. Sturdy foundation that Rin could build upon, later. From what Sam has gathered, many students didn't have the basics down and relied on their quirks rather than talent. Sam sidestepped and swiped at Rin with the flat of her blade as Rin moved to strike the weapon heroine. The Rin let out a squeak as the blade pushed her to the edge of the mat. Sam turned to face Rin with a teasing grin, not in any rush to end this fight if she could even call this that. Sam spun her blade blade with practiced ease.

"I guess it's foolish to use a weapon on a weapon heroine." Rin laughed as she too, started to twirl her staff.

"Not necessarily foolish." Sam corrected with a fond grin. "Depends on how you go about your approach and your skill." Sam's blade forged itself into a new form, she pulled her hands away to reveal a two short scythes connected by a long chain.

Rin still continued with her approach, her staff twirled in her hand. Sam looked offered a supportive smile as Rin chose to stick with her current approach. Sam threw a scythe and ran forward. Rin swatted the scythe away with one end and brought the other to block Sam's other scythe. Rin grunted in effort, trying to keep Sam from overpowering her. Rin broke away, trying to place some distance between Sam and herself to strike another attack.

Rin's eyes glowed, a startling blue, glyphs appeared around her hand and one end of her staff glowed gold. Sam moved as Rin twirled the staff, pointing the glowing end at Sam. She didn't want to chance that. Sam threw one of the scythes, the chain wrapped around the end of Rin's staff. Sam yanked and the staff was ripped out of Rin's hand.

Rin gasped as the metal burned her hand at the friction as it was thrown away, she stared as the staff skidded to the far end of the gym. The chain scythe was pulled back to Sam's hand. The burgundy haired woman stood, waiting. Rin dropped to the ground, a hand placed itself on the mat and symbols formed themselves on the blue mat. They formed a white circle around Rin, more intricate glyphs formed after the circle was complete. Too slow, Sam chided. You must be quicker than that, Rin. Sam lunged forward with a sharp, predatory gleam in her burgundy gaze.

Rin cursed as Sam approached, quickly and a short blade shot out of her prosthetic arm for defense. She stayed within her circle, hoping to have enough time to finish the spell. Sam was too quick. "Shadow man." Rin breathed, softly. Almost like she was uttering a prayer. Rin's shadow pulled away from her and then solidifying into a 3D being.

Large, ghastly claws met the small, precise scythes as they clashed, Sam pulled away. The new threat approached Samantha with a blackened grin. Burgundy eyes widened with surprise at the shadowy being before a small grenade formed in her hand. The move itself reminded Sam of Nathan's quirk, yet more complex. These weren't normal shadows like Nathan's but more convoluted. Sam tossed the small object, it rolled harmlessly to the feet of the shadowy figure.

The scythes changed into a pair of Tommy guns. Sam held them fast to her shoulders for preparation of the intense recoil. Rin looked up and gasped. The grenade went off and a bright flash blinded the shadow and Rin. She lost her concentration and the circle stopped drawing. Her shadow was back where a shadow belonged at her feet, dancing with the movement of the light and sun. Rin retreated away as fast as she could, not wanting to be riddled with bullets.

Sam fired and Rin squeezed her eyes shut and pulled her arms to her face, preparing herself for the impact as soft paint balls hit her. Rin blinked when the assault ended, she was covered head to toe in an assortment of colorful, neon paints. Rin glared at the laughing Sam. "I hate you." Rin muttered, glowering at the sticky paint that was making it's eating into all of her crevices.

"No, you don't." Sam laughed, banishing her weapons. "Go, get a shower and change then we can get some coffee."

Rin sent one last glare to Sam and retreated to the girl's bathroom. Sam pulled her bag that she left on a bench and followed to get changed. Sam changed to a modest antique white dress with dark brown, riding boots. A brown leather belt decorated with rhinestones sat snug below her chest. A short, brown leather jacket fell to a little below her chest. Sam freed her burgundy curls from the high ponytail, so that they could cascade over her shoulders. Sam applied her usual make up and stepped out of the bathroom to wait for Rin. She found herself alone in the gym with her only dark thoughts to keep her company.

Sam tried to occupy herself by trying to watch an episode of Doctor Who. She could barely focus on the weeping angels that never failed to creep her out nor on the handsome face of David Tennant's Doctor. Sam gritted her teeth. How could someone hold that much control over one's life? How could Sam not seem to relax when she knows that she is safe on the U.A. Campus? Jack had won. Sam feared every step she took and every false lead she followed because that meant someone would die. Those deaths were on her hands. Sam just knew that she would go home, one day and find a scalpel poised ready to kill her.

Sam jolted as the bathroom's door swung open and Rin stepped out. She turned to face Rin. Rin wore dark washed, rhinestone jeans with a white, lace batwing blouse with a teal camisole underneath. Rin's light blonde locks were still wet. Sam watched as Rin ran a hand through the blonde locks and as her hand moved her hair dried and styled itself. "No shit." Sam breathed in awe. "I know who my new stylist is."

Rin giggled. "No way." She said. "I never see your hair anything less than perfect."

"Because of Tim is amazing." Sam replied, nodding. "Shall we?"

Sam and Rin sat at the coffee shop, one that was right by her townhouse. Sam and Rin swung by to get Sasha, so she could get her energy out. Sam took a delicious sip of her second java frapp. "So was I too slow?" Rin asked after their conversion dropped silent for a moment. Sam smiled at Rin, she always wanted to improve herself. Jo and Sam had both promised Rin that they would never hold any information back and never lie to her. If Rin wanted the truth, she would go to either woman. Rin ducked to reach down and scratch Sasha's ears.

"A little." Sam agreed. "You also were overthinking the fight. Thinking isn't a bad thing but too much will distract you. That left you open to attack."

"Oh." Rin whispered, looking down of her white chocoholic frapp. Sam could see Rin's ears burn pink.

"Strategize, yes." Sam continued with her criticism. "Please, don't be a blundering idiot of a hero who punches his way out of any problem. So many heroes these days act like they're gods' gift placed upon this earth. Cocky, full of themselves and their quirks. You need to learn how to think on your feet. Plan will always fails, do react to the situation but move forward with confidence. Don't freeze."

"Okay." Rin nodded. "I will."

"What was that the spell for?" Sam asked, taking another drink from her coffee and Sam tossed a doggie biscuit down for Sasha.

"A barrier." Rin frowned, her blue eyes glared down at her cup. "I wanted space to plan or prepare a spell to counter your quirk or subdue you."

Sam frowned as well, thinking of what she could suggest to help Rin. "How about you prepare your spells in advance? Can you do that with your quirk?"

Rin frowned, harder. "What about difficult and different opponents? When I don't have a spell ready for them?"

"Don't overthink." Sam chided with her previous criticism. "Just basic defensive and offensive spells that you can use quickly? To buy you time for another stronger spell or to retreat?"

Rin nodded, slowly. "I'll try, Aunt Sam."

Sam nodded. "How do you like U.A.?" She asked, changing the subject.

"It's great!" Rin smiled, tightly. "My friends are telling me how great Wash-Ham is and I-"

"Envy them?" Sam suggested with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, I hate it but I do."

"Well, compare the two." Sam suggested, unhelpfully. Sam had absolutely zero experience with choosing school. She had been homeschooled and trained to be a hero under Nathan.

Rin smiled in amusement at Sam's hopeless face. "I'll do that." Rin's phone buzzed and she glanced down, her smile fell. "I gotta go, I'm sorry. My mother wants to spend time with me and Kim."

Sam waved Rin off, both stood from their seats. "Not a problem, family first." Sam replied. Rin still doesn't get along with Tsubaki then, she thought. "You can come by anytime you want or need. My door is always open to you."

Rin blushed and nodded. "Okay." Rin leaned forward and hugged Sam, tightly. Rin buried her head in Sam's shoulders and after a brief moment, Sam wrapped Rin up in her arms. "Thank you for everything."

"Not a problem." Sam smiled, proudly down at the lanky blonde. "I'll see you tomorrow." Rin pulled away, patted Sasha and left the coffee shop. Sam threw a few notes on the table and looked down at her husky. "Shall we go to the park?"

A happy bark was Sasha's answer. Sam allowed Sasha to pull her along in the direction of the park. Sam squinted and peered pasted the sun to a dark figure in the distance. "Is that?" Sasha let out a bark and yanked on her leash, winding the weapon heroine. Sam grunted as she tried to pull back on the leash. Snap! "Shit! Fuck! Sasha!" Sam yelled as she fell back on the pavement. Her husky tore down the pavement, barking.


	14. Bad Sasha! Loud Class 1A!

A/N: what do you think the letter contains? Also, how do you like Rin? Also, what Hogwarts and Illvermorny house do you think everyone belongs in? Y'all might not have a good enough idea to know their houses but I wanna see what y'all think now and I'll ask again later to see if your ideas change. I know Rin's for sure but I'm torn with Sam. What's your houses? I'm a Slytherin and Thunderbird! Anyone get the puns in Benjamin Strange's name and hero name?

Also, also, Jo and Ben are 35ish. Five years older than Shouta and Hizashi but nine years older than Sam.

"Sasha!" Sam cursed, the back of her head throbbed after she slammed into the pavement. Her hand burned after skin had been scrapped off by concrete as she tried to catch herself. Sam glowered at the frozen cream and coffee drink that spilled all over her dress. Sam focused on the leather leash that Sasha snapped with her power alone. "Damnit, Dog." Sam growled, tossing the leather away. She forced herself to her feet and gave chase after the husky. Her head throbbed more as she ran but hell, she was still new in this city. This country. Sam couldn't loose Sasha, now or else she would never find her again.

Sam tore after the cream and white husky. "Sasha! No!" She cried. Sam watched the husky take a running leap at the figure she vaguely recognized when she stood out side of the coffee shop. Sasha launched off the ground and slammed into the man dressed in black. The man and dog sprawled out on the ground, Sasha was showering the man with a friendly, slobbery tongue. Oh, shit. "Sasha! Bad Sasha!" Sam scolded, She grabbed Sasha by her caller and dragged her away from Sasha's victim. Sasha moved to pounce once more but Sam held fast to her dog.

"I am so sorry for Sasha. She can get a little too enthusiastic, sometimes." Sam breathed out and looked down. Oh, shit. Sasha had tackled Aizawa Shouta. Fuck me. "I'm so sorry, Shouta." Sam said, quickly and reached down to help the man up.

"That's alright." Shouta muttered and winced but took the offered help from Sam. Several laughs echoed around the pair, followed by a second. Sasha moved to pounce again, Sam dragged her dog behind her. Sam was desperately trying to ignore the wet, insistent nose pressed onto her bare leg. Sam bit back the cringe of snot and slobber. Samantha had put her body as a shield between Sasha and Shouta. "There's a reason I don't like canines." He grumbled, looking down on the ecstatic Sasha. Sam straightened as best she could while she still had a tight hold on Sasha.

"She was just happy to recognize someone. Sasha's used to knowing everyone." Sam defended, coolly. Hostility and her defensive nature pricked at Sam's spine. Shouta raised an eyebrow and glanced down to her soggy dress. Sam settled to glare at the dark haired man. "She's not used to this city yet."

"Shouta got tackled by a mutt?" A booming voice laughed.

Sam recognized that voice, she spun to the flamboyant source and glowered at the blonde man. "Sasha is not a mutt, asshat." Sam growled, defending her dog. She glared at the gravity defying, blonde hair clad in leather jacket followed by another man with blue hair and an odd, arrow shaped set of eyebrows. "Fuck, my hands." Sam grumbled, rubbing her hands on her legs as she tried to rid herself of the asphalt on her burning hands.

"Sorry, sorry!" Hizashi laughed, watching Shouta dust himself off and Sam trying to free herself from the asphalt while still holding Sasha. "What's up, Sammy?!"

Sam glowered, "Wet and sticky."

"Oh, heh." Hizashi rubbed his head in embarrassment, looking down at Sam's soggy, white dress. "Sorry."

"Hi." The blue haired man greeted with a warm, charming smile. He extended his hand for Sam to grasp. "I'm Iida Tensei." He introduced. Aw, he is so cute! Sam thought when he smiled. She liked the bright glint in his blue eyes and the warming, welcoming smile on his tanned, chiseled face. Oh, no. I'm doomed.

Sam flushed, a light red that stood out on her pale cheeks. Sam took his warm hand. "Samantha Pond, sorry that I'm a mess." Sam mentally kicked herself at her wording after she realized her mistake.

"Not a problem." Iida Tensei offered Sam, a sweet smile that struck at her heart chords like a piano's hammer. Tensei glanced at his childhood friend and elbowed Hizashi and Hizashi elbowed Shouta when the dark haired man opened his mouth to correct Sam's blunder of her oddly chosen wording. Shouta eyed the two. Iida Tensei held his hand down and crouched to Sasha's level. Sasha moved out from behind Sam's legs to sniff the proffered hand before nuzzling into Iida's hand.

"Sammy, here is our new science teacher." Hizashi elaborated, glancing between the two with a wicked, knowing grin. "She's from England."

"Really?" Iida Tensei asked, intrigued.

"Yeah." Sam nodded and shifted in her dress, uncomfortably. "As much as I would like stay and talk. Sasha's leash is broken and I'm getting uncomfortable in this. I need to get a shower and get this dress in the wash before it is ruined."

"Alright." Iida and Shouta nodded in understanding.

"We should all get together for dinner or something." Hizashi said, stepping in. His yellow tinted sunglasses gleamed in the sun, wickedly. "I can give you, each other's numbers, so we can plan the details. Nemuri can join too! It'll be fun!"

Tensei glanced over to his meddling friend and nodded. "That would be nice." He offered Sam, a hesitant smile.

Sam smiled back and nodded, turning to head home. "Yeah, sure! I'll see you later!" Sam agreeded and pulled Sasha along until she reached her townhouse. Sam released her canine and started to shed the soggy layers of clothing on her way up to her shower.

Samantha stood at the front of Shouta's classroom, nervously on Monday morning. She, Jo and Ben stood in front of the black board. Shouta sat at his desk, grading papers until the first bell rang. She still hasn't shaken her nerves of talking to students. Today, she wore a sheet burgundy blouse that was cut down the back to exposed the soft, black camisole underneath and the Miss Me jeans that had been gifted by Jo. Bedazzled and embroidered angels wings spread across the back pockets. More jewels spread around the belt loops and down the seams.

Sam glanced over at Jo and Ben with envy in her gaze. She envied how they interacted with each other as if they shared a mind. Jo always knew when Ben had done something stupid and Ben always knew what to say to Jo to make everything better. Even the way they bickered like an old married couple. The small touches and loving glances. How they melded together with a bond that was much stronger and deeper than any friendship Sam had. Sam had to admit whenever she found the one, she wanted a relationship like theirs.

"How are you liking Japan, Sammy?" Ben asked, looking over the burgundy haired woman. Sam looked up to meet his brilliant, light green gaze.

Ben was quite a handsome man. Soft, tanned skin with firm muscles. Ben had striking cheekbones and a firm jawline. A mess of dark brown curls and a goatee framed the firm lines of his mouth. His goatee wasn't the stupid looking one that looked terrible on most people but the kind that was made for his face structure. The goatee enhanced his face and natural, charismatic smile. A tight black shirt showcased of the rippling muscles underneath. The tight, dark trousers didn't help the sheer sex appeal that was one, Benjamin Strange. His appearance, sadly reflected on his popularity in America.

Joanne Crane was also beautiful. Tall and sported a fit frame. A perfect complexion that wasn't too tan or too pale. A bright blonde haired woman that many mistook her to be the mother of one, Shimizu Rin. Even, Jo and Rin's eyes were the same shade of blue. She looked great in anything, though she normally preferred reds, purples and blacks. Joanne always made Sam feel insecure about her curves, Sam knew that it was foolish. Everyone had a different body, Sam was no different. Yet, the nagging feeling never left. Jo too had striking cheekbones that always made Sam extremely curious about how Ben and Jo's children would look like. Ben and Jo were poster children of the typical American hero. The darlings of the tabloids of all sorts. Whenever anyone talks of the American heroes. Ben and Jo were the first to be mentioned. Of course, after Allmight.

"Alright." Sam answered. "Very different from London."

"Good way?" Jo inquired, leaning into Ben's side. The blonde woman looked over to Sam with keen interest. Jo's bright blue eyes honed in on Sam's face, searching for any cracks or emotions that could give any details as to how the burgundy eyed woman felt.

"I haven't decided yet." Sam frowned, looks like she did have some common ground with Rin on yesterday's subject. They both didn't know if they liked the change they made with their lives. Different, yes. Good? She didn't know, not yet.

Jo opened her mouth to respond when the students began to file in. Many stared at the three in the front of the room. Jo turned her focus to the students and offered a bright, dazzling smile. "Jo? Ben? What the hell are you two doing here?" Rin asked when she walked in with her sister, Kim and Momo. Her blue eyes were fixed on Jo and Ben, wide with surprise.

"Here to surprise you, of course." Jo responded with the beginnings of a smirk. "Now, go sit down like a good student."

"You're letting the power get to your head." Sam muttered under her breath. Jo brought a slim hand to her ear, pretending that she didn't hear Sam's remark.

"Nah." Ben grinned.

"That's the Voodoo Queen and Master Strange, American heroes." Midoriya breathed, his eyes wide in awe.

"Everyone, sit down." Shouta ordered, tiredly. He stood up from his desk, moving around to stand by Sam's side. "I have asked Pond, Crane and Strange to come in and discuss hero work in other countries."

"Rin?" Jo called, her blue eyes homed in on Rin as she sat in the back of the class. "Care for a spell to translate, Rinny?" Rin rolled her eyes at the pair but an earthy brown script snaked around her finger, shooting from her seat and laced to lace around Jo's wrist. Another brown ribbon of script raced along Ben's wrist.

"Those translating spells will only last a little over an hour like that, I'll have to draw a longer lasting one after those wear off." Rin warned and the pair nodded in understanding of their former charge.

"I am Benjamin Strange and this is my fiance, Joanne Crane." Benjamin smiled, some girls in the class swooned and Sam shook her head in aspiration. "Sammy, asked us to help in giving her a hand in this lecture. We are more accustomed to American laws while Sam is with European laws."

Rin snickered, watching Mina stand up. "I have a question." She asked with a finger to her chin in thought. "Why haven't you two gotten married. The tabloids say you have been together for twenty years."

Sam and Rin snorted at once. "We've been asking that since we've know them." They chimed at the same time. Jo and Ben flushed red.

"Well, for starters... For heroes in England and America, we can kill." Sam hummed and many of the class gasped in shock. "I know that most of you seen the November 5th video. I wasn't aiming to stop Jack, I was aiming to take him out. This falls back on a very old law allowing one to go to any means to save one's life, even. That has been expanded upon over the development of heroes and the laws that protect them. Same when London fell."

"Good Samaritan Laws." Jo continued for Sam. "This allows us to do whatever's necessary to save lives. This varies from America to England. America heroes and civilians have more lax laws regarding quirks than anywhere in the world. This follows back to control over one's body. The government lost that battle one too many times. People with quirks can use their skills and powers in whatever way they please, so as long they follow existing laws. In America, quirks are celebrated."

"In Europe, a case is opened to follow up with any deaths in hero work. An investigation is opened to see if any misconduct taken place." Sam finished.

The three paused to see if any of the students had questions. "Wait? What?!"The classroom erupted in loud chatter that only increased in volume as the seconds passed. Sam grimaced at the sheer volume, she clenched her trembling fists. Ben quirked his eyebrow at Sam's wince. Jo's hand grasped Sam's upper arm in comfort. Both of the heroes knew the source of this reaction from Samantha.

"Hey! Hey! Pipe down!" Ben called over the eager students. His light green gaze burned fiercely at the loud students, protective over his younger friend. "We'll answer your questions, one by one. Only if you quite down!"

A/N: sorry, just adding something for Rin's quirk in the translation spells she gave Jo and Ben!


	15. Tales of the Past

Notice: Strap in for a bumpy ride.

Also, some references to Hamilton in this chapter. I love Hamilton!

P.S. This arc should be concluded in at least two more chapter, including this one. Three at tops. Then more Aizawa and USJ arc which I already have planned as well as a brief arc break, so small. Just a chapter long. This arc is up to four chapters, not too bad. So five or six as an end result.

Samantha woke up in a bed, feeling drained but otherwise comfortable. The comforter was soft and the bed was plush. It was her bed. Sam frowned and pulled herself up, wincing.

"You should stay down, we took a metal rod out of your side." A voice warned and Sam turned her burgundy gaze to Asami who was leaning against her door frame. "We don't know the extent of the damage yet."

"Okay." Sam nodded. Logical. "So, we made it to my apartment."

"Yeah." Asami nodded, pushing off the door frame and to the window by Sam's bed. "That was a full and expansive medical kit you had." She remarked, making her way to Samantha's bed.

Sam blushed. "Yeah, with my health condition me and James keep one stocked in the apartment at all times for emergencies." She explained, pulling herself up into a sitting position. "To keep out of Lily's hair as best we can. She does so much for us, already." Sam flushed in gratitude for the woman, keeping her as a patient for so long. Floorboards creaked and Asami kept an eye on the doorway, ready to protect Sam if any hostiles came through. No hostiles came, Eliza poked her head into the room. Asami relaxed her tense stance.

"How are you?" Eliza asked in a small voice. Sam could see that the queen to be's eyes were big, red and puffy. She knew, of course she knew. Asami probably told her at some point when Sam was asleep.

"I should be asking you that." Sam mumbled, glaring at the wall behind Eliza. "I let you three down."

"You did your job, Sam." Eliza started, a hiccup escaped her. A strange hardness entered in Eliza's eyes as they met Sam's burgundy gaze. Sam would almost describe the look as cold. "No one will blame you for Will's death." Sam watched her, silently. She acutely recognized the major issue in Eliza's statement, being around James and his deduction quirk for so long. Sam could tell from her stiff stance, her glacial tone and that damned look in her eye. No one would blame Militia for the death of the prince but Eliza would blame Samantha Pond for the death of her brother. To be frank, Sam didn't blame her. She too, blamed herself.

Sam could deal with that hate for now, fix her relationship with Eliza after she eliminated the very real and present threat against the crown. "Alright-"

"No, mum." Asami interrupted Samantha. Sam shot her friend a glare to drop the subject. "No one should blame Militia for William's death because that death rests on my shoulders. Sam was covering me during that fire fight, I was the one that failed to save Prince William's life."

A flash of defiance lit up Eliza's eyes but she remained silent. She gave a short, dismissive nod to Asami. Sam translated that to mean that she gave zero fucks about what Asami thought. The soon to be queen turned to Sam. "What's our next move?"

"A safe house, firstly." Sam grunted, swinging her legs over the bed despite Asami's protests. "Give me, an hour or two to gather my strength." Samantha gritted her teeth as she stood up, she turned and faced Eliza.

"We'll go to the safe house and gather strength, then we'll head to the underground." Sam explained, further. Sam shuffled to the edge of her bed, she leaned against the bed framing for support. Trying her best to ignore the stabbing pain in her side. "We had set up an emergency rendezvous at zero two thirty. Precautionary measures that Operation: Avalon had set in place."

"I never asked during the briefing but what does Avalon stand for?" Eliza asked, moving back out of the doorway into Sam's hallway.

Sam offered a knowing smile to the princess. "The American have Olympus." She started, softly. "Their capital is known as Olympus to the secret service agency, the President is Zeus, the all powerful god of gods. We have Avalon. London is Avalon." She straightened, food was first and foremost on Sam's mind. Replenish her strength so that she could fight. She had food pills developed but they only gave short bursts of energy and left Samantha feeling sick and depleted.

Eliza nodded, satisfied and disappeared into Sam's living room. Asami followed Sam into the hall and into the kitchen. "How is everything out there?" Sam asked as she moved to the fridge, pulling out her leftover triple meat and onion pizza and a sealed bowl of ranch and tobasco mix.

"This terrorist group or whatever they are is crawling through the streets, the military is trying gain control but..." Asami trailed off. "It's bad."

Sam dipped her pizza in the spicy ranch and started to eat. "How bad?" She asked, not truly wanting the answer.

"If I had to bet, I'd say that they've been infiltrating and planning this for sometime now." Asami replied, stealing one of Sam's sodas from the fridge. "Something set these people off, I don't know what." The navy haired woman leaned against the countertop, next to Samantha.

"Revenge?" Sam inquired, finishing off her slice and going for another. "I have to agree with you, they must have something against the royals or with the government." Both woman jumped at the ringing of Samantha's phone.

Asami and Sam stared at the offending device. Sam plucked it off the counter and answered. "Hello?" She drawled.

"Sam! Thank God I got a hold of you!" James exclaimed. "Are you alright? Where are you? The whole country is looking for you!" Sam was thrilled to hear his voice.

Sam opened her mouth to answer and paused. Could she trust him? Or rather, could she trust the technology? "We're okay, James and I can't tell you where we are but we are safe." Sam breathed, should she tell him about Will? "We need to make this quick."

"Okay." James agreed, not questioning Sam's lack of faith. "The Queen and King were murdered." Sam froze, ice forming in her veins. So they were right. These people had been planning this.

"What?" Asami hissed.

"They were poisoned, the royal medical examiner was found dead in the Thames with the real documents. Multiple attacks have been occurring on the royal family in the past couple of hours. Domestically and on foreign soil." James rushed out. "This was their game from the beginning, whoever they are. I'll call you with more details later as we find them but this is huge. Bye!" And so, James hung up. He left the pair of pros stunned.

"That answers that, then." Sam muttered with a deep frown on her face. She plucked another slice of pizza out of the bag and began to eat. "They'll want to take out Fred and Eliza. We need to insure that it doesn't happen. We'll leave within the hour and forgo the safe house stop. The sooner that they are safe in the military's hands, the better it will be for the country."

"Alright." Asami nodded. A deep sigh exited the older woman. "This wasn't how I pictured this operation to go."

"Me either." Sam agreed, pulling the last slice out to eat. Samantha chewed slowly, not liking the pressing issue at hand. "Occupational hazard. We all knew what we signed up for." She mumbled, sullenly. Sam could just picture Will's lifeless corpse in the Land Rover. Bile rose in her throat, Sam set down her last slice of her pizza. Not at all hungry anymore. Asami frowned at Sam's abrupt lack of apatite.

"Have I ever told you about my nieces?" Asami asked, abruptly.

Sam peered at her friend with burgundy eyes, puzzled at the change in subject. "Only every other day." Samantha drawled, sarcastically. "Why?"

"Shimizu Kimiko and Shimizu Rin. They're twins." Asami started, softly. Sea foam eyes gazed down at her soda. "They were targeted by kidnappers when they were five. I was watching them for the weekend and Rin was taken from my very garden, right under my very nose. Rin was taken because of her mother's hero work."

Sam's eyebrows knit together, she never heard of that. Sam couldn't imagine the horror that Asami felt, losing her niece on her watch. She remained silent as Asami continued. "Our whole family shut down their offices and searched for Rin. She was no where to be found. Tsubaki, my sister, even requested her friend, All Might to help search for Rin. Three weeks later and All Might had finally found her. Those men refused to let Rin go without taking something dear to her... One of the villains had a quirk that he used to quake Rin's arm and leg. The doctors had to amputate her mutilated limbs."

"Oh my..." Sam uttered with a gasp, staring with wide eyed horror at Asami. She reached out and grabbed Asami's hand, giving it a tight squeeze. "Asami... I'm so sorry."

"My sister and Rin's sister, Kim didn't know how to treat Rin after she was released from the hospital. Those bastards took so much from her. They didn't know what to do. So, she now lives in New York City under Joanna Crane and Benjamin Strange." Asami explained, quietly. "She's happy there with them."

"Why are you telling me this?" Sam asked.

"Collateral damage, Sam." Asami growled to Samantha. Asami turned to face Sam and heer striking blue eyes seem to pierce Sam's soul. "There will always be collateral damage, working as a hero. No matter how hard you try. You have no sway over who lives and dies. Don't try to."

Sam understood what Asami was trying to say. That Will wasn't their fault and that they did what they could. "Okay... I'll try." Sam nodded. "You and me are going to a pub after all of this."

"I'm fine with that." Asami agreed with a smirk. "I'm going to give the news to the princess and prince." Sam made a small, odd noise of agreement and watched Asami leave her kitchen. Samantha knew she needed to eat more before they head out to try and replenish her energy. She moved to the fridge to hunt down some more food. Sam frowned at the odd stillness in the air, everything seemed to just hang in the air. Eerie, Sam thought.

The air pressed against Sam's cheeks, a strange presence moved behind her and Sam spurred herself into action. Two throwing knives materialized in both of her hands, Sam spun around and threw the blade. It hit it's target, making the woman shriek. The brown haired woman raised her hand at Sam and Sam threw her second blade. Sam's armor started to form around her as she threw her last blade. That blade sunk into the woman's chest as what ever quirk the attacker possessed slammed into Sam, sending the heroine through the wall. Sam crashed through the drywall and broke her living room table with a gasp. Samantha's old wound burned her side and she bit back a whimper.

Sam's head spun and she stared up at three gaping faces. She groaned as her limbs screamed at her to stop and rest. "We have company." She growled, Asami hauled Sam to her feet. Sam swayed once and shook off the ache in her head. Sam looked down and saw that drywall dust covered Sam from head to foot. She grimaced and shook the excess off her form.

The front door flew off it's hinges and Asami and Sam sprang foreword into action. A hundred round tommy gun forming in Sam's hands, she kept the rifle low to her hip for the intense recoil. She pulled the trigger, spraying the entry with bullets. The wise ones stayed out of her line of fire, watching the expendables get peppered. The walls shook as pipes burst under Asami prodding, washing the one who weren't shot by Sam.

"My apartment, Asami!" Sam growled.

"That's why you have insurance." Asami shot back.

"I'm almost positive that renter's does not cover villains!"

Asami laughed and that only pissed Sam off more. "That's why there's never too much coverage." Sam opted threw a nasty glare at Asami, choosing not to continue the ridiculous conversation.

The pair heard Eliza scream and a window break in. Sam kept her focus on the door as Asami turned to deal with the new threat. A scuffle broke out behind Sam and she heard Asami growl. "You!"

The fire escape was blocked by incoming assailants, the front door was blocked as well. Their only somewhat sane option was to the side or down. Sam had a better feeling for going down. She kept one hand on the tommy and several handheld bombs in her free hand. Sam tossed them to the floor, watching the beeps speed up. "Everyone get down!" Sam shouted. The explosion rocked the small apartment and Sam was thrown to the ground, her ears rang. She groaned and looked to where she had placed her bombs. A gaping hole in her floor stared back at Sam. Sam looked back to where Asami had been fighting and saw the woman stumble to her feet. "Asami get the royals down to that unit!" She growled, picking herself up off the floor.

Sam looked back to the door, determined to cover them until they were safe in the downstairs unit. A set of smoke grenades formed in her free hand and Sam tossed them to the entry. Sam heard Asami help Eliza and Fred down to the downstairs unit. She watched the smoke spewed out of the canisters as it obscure the villian's vision as well as her's. The tommy gun's drum emptied and Sam pulled it out and replaced the drum. Keeping her attention on the entry.

Sam heard movement behind her and switched her targets. She turned, aiming the tommy at the fire escape's window but didn't fire. She didn't want a stray bullet to hit her allies. Six men made there way through the window. Two disk shaped bombs formed in her hands, Sam tossed the disks at them. One of them, a dark haired man reached up and grabbed Sam's bombs. Sam frowned as the plastic trembled and shattered under his hands. She watched the remains of her bombs drop to the floor, the man offered a cheeky grin to Samantha. "Well, you're gonna be a pain in my ass." She growled out, watching Asami jump down the hole. They were out of the tommy's firing line. Safe. Sam brought the tommy back up and fired. The quake man dived into the hallway but her bullets peppered into several of his allies who fell to the ground with screams.

"Sam!" Asami called from below. "Come on!"

Sam ran forward and jumped down the hole as a woman reached out for her. She pulled her tommy close to her chest and tucked down as she dropped. Sam hit something soft yet firm with an 'oof'. A plush sofa buffered her fall. She looked up the see green flames shoot above her head, licking at the gaping hole in the ceiling. "We need to go." Samantha mumbled, Asami dragged her to her feet and towards the front door. They needed a way out of there fast. The villians would be right on top of them if they went through the door. The fire escape would be suicidal and only a matter of time before they followed down the hole that Sam made. The only thing stopping them is the fact that Sam might've set traps for them and that would only scare them for a little while. She could hear the rapid movement of footsteps upstairs. A terribly bad idea struck her, she turned to Asami. "How good are you at controlling your quirk in flight?"

"Wha-?"

"How good?" Sam asked, insistently. "Can you control it well under duress?"

Asami stared at Sam for a second and deadpanned. "I'm a pro."

"Good, I had to ask. We're jumping off the building."

"What?!" Eliza and Fred shouted.

"There's a building next door, two stories shorter from where we are now." Sam explained, quickly. They didn't have time to waste. "Not too terrible of a jump, it's not too far. We jump and head to a emergency elevator on the roof, the head to the rendezvous point." Sam explained, impatiently. Sam moved to the exterior floor to ceiling length window, she remembered had correctly. A water tower sat on top of the roof.

Asami and the royal siblings followed. Sam continued. "Asami, you need to buffer our landing. A typical two story fall could break a couple bones. After that, we'll cross the Waterloo bridge and join the rendezvous." Sam looked at the three, Asami nodded. Eliza and Fred looked terrified but they weren't refusing to jump. Sam grabbed a small circular table and threw it out of the window. The glass shattered out, Sam watched the shards and table fall to the pavement. They were at least six stories up, almost no one would survive a fall like that.

"On three." Asami suggested. "Oh, your idea. You go first."

Sam rolled her eyes at the smirking bluenette and bounced on her feet, lightly. "Okay, Step back." Her black chrome wings spread out as far as they could in the tight quarters of the apartment. She put the wings on her permanent hero costume after a villain threw her out of a thirty five story window. Sam thanked whatever God that Thanatos was there to catch her with his shadows or else she would have gone splat on the pavement. "You only die once." She whispered and jumped out of the window, the wings outstretched on Sam's command. Sam glided across to the roof, dropping down to the gravel.

Sam rolled to her feet and looked up at the broken window and at the three pairs of wide eyes on her. The wings tucked back behind her, and she spread her arms wide in a silent question of 'what are you waiting for?' to her companions. Sam raised her tommy a popped off a few shots at the water tower, she watched the water pour out then the water moved from the natural course of nature.

Sam watched Eliza jump out of the window and the water reach out and caught her, midair. Sam reached out and helped Eliza to her feet. Fred came next, landing on his back. Sam watched Asami prepare to jump. Something caught her eyes and green flames shot out of the window, towards Sam. "Shit. Fire and water damage." Sam mumbled to herself with a small smirk, shoving Eliza and Fred out of the way. Narrowly missing being burnt to a crisp by raging neon green flames. "Come on!" Sam dragged the pair to the elevator. A risky move on their part but the quicker they could get out of this, the better.

Asami was carried to the rooftop by gentle waves from the water tower. The water continued to carry the heroine to the elevator. "Let's go." Asami hummed.

"Show off." Sam mumbled before jabbing at the button marked G1.

Cheery elevator music broke the stiff silence. Sam stopped herself from snorting and occupied herself by reloading the tommy gun. Asami meet her eyes and Sam broke into a loud laugh. Asami followed shortly behind her. The cheery tune was so out of place in the situation that Sam had to laugh. "Have you lost your minds?" Eliza asked, confused. Sam had to grip the rails to stop herself from falling on her bum. Asami fought to compose herself.

"Maybe." Sam wheezed, loudly. "We are all a little mad here." That sent Asami into another wave of laughter and giggles.

"Come on, you are grown adults." Eliza reprimanded.

Sam forced her breathing to even out and calm down. "Yeah." She panted, a wide smile still on her face. "Let's get you to the rendezvous."

Ding!

The four exited the elevator into a parking garage. Asami fell back to the rear and Sam took the lead. Eliza and Fred kept to the center for safety. Sam led them silently out of the garage and down the street. The street like the last time was deathly quiet. Not a soul in sight for miles. Night was fading. Dusk was rising in the distance. Everything was to quiet for Sam's liking.

Sam moved around the sidewalk towards the bridge. She kept herself small and crouched. The tommy still in her clutches. At the base of the bridge, Sam sprinted up the incline. She was eager to meet the rendezvous and get it over with. To go back to her apartment or a hotel with her best friend as her roommate. Eating IHOP at three in the morning. The shuffling of footsteps behind her told her that they were following.

Half way up the bridge, they showed up. A thick, unnatural mist fell over the Waterloo bridge. Sam tensed in wait. Her signature sword formed in one hand and the tommy supported against her hip in the other. "Get ready to run." Sam muttered. The royals gave stiff nods and Asami flexed her fingers.

The mist swirled and forms sprinted out. Sam lunged forward a slash cutting them down. Asami moved and struck down several other figures behind them, the royals smushed between the pro heroes. They moved quickly, both heroines defending their charges. The bridge quaked about half way up the bridge, Sam stumbled. Finding it somewhat difficult to keep her feet under her. The concrete trembled under them and broke apart. The pair looked back and Asami let out a soft growl. The man from the apartment, the one that destroyed Sam's bombs. A violent shudder sent Sam, Eliza and Fred to the ground. Asami said something that Sam couldn't hear.

Sam didn't remember much after that. She remember the bridge was collapsing and Asami used water to stabilize and something heavy slammed into Sam, throwing her and the nobles off the bridge. The last thing Sam remembered was a smile of Asami's face and then nothing as she met the pavement...


	16. The USJ

A/N: Damn, 15 chapters before I get to the USJ arch. Oh and here's a pic of Sam's car. Beauty, huh? An Ashton Martin named M! XD

Sam had been artfully sidestepping questions from the students and focused on the technical side of the law. The investigations. The crime labs. Not the fact that she could never bring herself to tell Ana's family that she died, James had to complete that task. Nor the fact that Sam did not attend the funeral. Several more lighter, funnier stories were told in good nature by the three. The bell chimed and the students started to put away their belongs for the next class. "The bell doesn't dismiss you, I do!" Ben called out with a cheeky grin on his face. The students paused, their eyes flickered to the American hero. Power was getting to Ben, Sam thought.

Sam sighed, wearily. "When you get to class open your books to page 394 and start reading the chapter, it's only a couple of pages. Nothing too lengthy. That will be today's lesson, go over the chapter a couple times to get a grasp on the subject. After the daily question and notes, we'll have a lab today as well."

The students chimed their cheery responses and filed out into the hallway. Sam's gaze flickered to a clock, 9 o'clock. She pulled a transparent bottle of small green pills out of her pocket and popping the pill, washing it down with the remainder of her coffee. Sam turned to her friends, unaware of Aizawa's watchful gaze. "I'll see you two for lunch?" She asked, looking back at the pair.

"Of course."

"No, we're kidnapping Rin for lunch."

Sam rolled her eyes at Ben. "Kidnap and then go for lunch."

"Sounds too busy."

"Hush!" Jo scolded Ben and elbowing her fiancé in the gut. "Gotcha, Sam. Meet you at your classroom."

"Have fun, you two! See you later." Sam wandered in the direction of the teacher's lounge for another cup of coffee before heading to her lively class. She didn't see much of the other teachers for the remainder of the week. Sam had papers to grade and a case to aid James in.

On Friday, Samantha sat in the teacher's lounge. She occupied herself to grade papers for the first portion of her free period and then to her classroom to prepare for the day as well as her first class. She hummed a familiar tune that she couldn't quite place the song but it's name sat on the tip of her tongue. Sam didn't know how many coffees she drank as she was working but she did know that she refilled the pot twice. The first bell has just rang for the school day. Sam had resigned herself to living off of coffee for the next couple of months until Jack was caught to battle sleep deprivation. James had joked that her blood had seventy five percent coffee running through her veins, the other twenty five being absinthe. Probably not that far from the truth, Sam's liver was so screwed.

Sam jolted when she felt a presence in front of the desk that she was occupying. Her burgundy gaze flew up to a white space suit. Thirteen. "Hello, Sam." He greeted, brightly.

"Hi!" Sam chirped back.

"I am teaching a rescue class with Aizawa and All Might, today at the USJ but All Might did too much hero work on the way here and cannot help." Sam frowned up at the man, not quite understanding his unspoken question. "Will you substitute for All Might?"

"Oh! Um, I don't have a lot of experience with rescue work." Sam replied, puzzled. Sam didn't have much of any experience with disasters besides national disasters but those weren't caused by Mother Nature, just politics and terrorists.

"Oh, we just need you there! After the break in, the school doesn't want the students away from the main campus without three teachers present." Thirteen responded, waving Sam's confusion off. "Will you help?"

"Of course." Sam agreed with a nod, standing from her seat and stretching her stiff limbs, "Lead the way."

"Okay!" Thirteen lead her to the school parking lot, Sam cocked her head to the rescue hero and quirked a single, burgundy eyebrow to him. "We have to drive there." He explained after he looked over to the Londoner. Thirteen gestured over to a powder blue Prius, Sam bit back a laugh to keep from hurting Thirteen's feelings.

"Oh, honey. We can do better than that. Let's take mine." Sam grinned and gestured over to her 2018 divine red Aston Martin DBS Superleggera with smoked and tinted lights and windows. She loved her car, more than anything else. "That's my beauty, M." Sam walked alongside the beauty and ran a hand down the sleek side to the door. The deep red shown, beautifully in the sun.

"How did you afford to get that." Thirteen breathed in awe, following Sam over to the Ashton Martin.

"Well, I could've bought it on my own but my dear friend, Fred bought M for me, last Christmas." Sam grinned, happily. She loved her car, she loved Fred for buying her, M. Sam loved the class and power of the vehicle. Sleek and fast, just how all cars should.

Thirteen followed her and sat in the black leather, passenger seat. "A guy just bought this for you?" He asked, somewhat skeptically as he buckled his seat belt in place. Sam almost heard a hint of suspicion in his voice but waved that off.

"Yeah, we grew up together. We're practically family." Sam started M, her grin widened as the engine purred to life. "It's not like he took a big hit on M. Being the prince of England doesn't pay cheep." She hummed, pulling out of the parking lot.

Thirteen gasped in surprise. "Prince Fredrick?"

"Yep. He hates being called Fredrick, though." Sam answered, dismissively. "Where to?"

"Uh, straight down this road. It's a several miles away, you can't miss it." Thirteen answered, looking around the pristine and luxurious interior.

"We'll be there in a sec." Sam said and threw Thirteen, a wink and jammed down on the gas pedal. Thirteen let out a yelp as M tore down the road, roaring with power. The rpm jumped up and the mph followed, close behind. The engine hummed and Sam laughed. After several minutes, a large dome building came into sight. Sam flipped gears and twisted the wheel, making M spin around. She stopped right in front of the curb, pointed back towards the school. "Here we are!" Sam proclaimed, hopping out of M.

Thirteen stumbled out of the car on shaky legs. "Where did you learn to drive?" He asked, breathlessly.

"Secret Service." Sam answered. Thirteen blanched at her, expecting Sam to say that she was joking but she didn't. Sam hit the alarm and locked the doors. "So, this is the USJ?"

"Yes, I designed this facility to stimulate natural disasters to better prepare students for rescues. The unforeseen simulation joint or the USJ for short." Thirteen explained as the pair entered the dome shaped building. "I can give you a tour later, the students will be here shortly." He looked back at the gaping Sam with wide burgundy eyes filled with wonder and amazement. "Nothing like what you learn with as a student?" He asked Sam.

"I was homeschooled, so yeah." Sam answered, softly. A soft, childish smile crossed her face as she observed the USJ. It was an amusement park.

"By the same people who taught you to drive?"

"Yes." Sam answered, distractedly. Her gaze bounced to the different zones with bright curiosity.

Thirteen stared, "You see, I can't tell if you're joking or not."

"And you never will." Sam flashed him, a mysterious grin. "No snowstorm or avalanche zone?" She asked, curiously.

"We have one during the winter." Thirteen answered and Sam laughed. Of course they have one in the winter.


	17. Militia Stands Strong

Militia growled, readying her blade. Sam glared at the mass of villains. The villains paused in their movement, they recognized her for who she was when they didn't recognize Aizawa as Eraserhead. They hesitated to attack her. Sam lunged forward, using that hesitation to her advantage and landed the first blow. Her blade swatted one's hammer of a hand and delivered a slash across his front. He collapsed to the ground and the others seemed to kick into motion. They lunged forward at Sam, she parried the attackers.

The blade vanished and Sam brought up a Thompson to her shoulders. She peppered the ground at the villains. They jumped away and Sam smirked. She felt movement behind her and she spun around to face the gutless coward who could not face her head on. A scarf wrapped around the woman and she was yanked away by Shouta. Sam flashed him, a grateful grin and turned back to the rest. Sam crouched as they lunged at her, she formed a claymore and set the device down. Sam darted to the side and swept the Thompson towards the gang of villains. Several of the villains collapsed under the fire.

Sam dropped another claymore and continued to train the Thompson on the bulk of the group. The Thompson vanished when they got too close and a nodachi formed in one of Sam's hands. Sam swung the blade around, keeping them at a distance. The blade sang as it swiped the air. Sam placed another claymore down, they were set in a crescent moon shaped line. Sam lunged back into the mob and activated the claymores. The bearings flung out to the crowd of villains. Several bearings pinged on Militia's armor, unable to penetrate her defenses.

One that hadn't been taken out by the claymore ms looked as if he was made of some kind of unrefined metal took a swipe at Militia. She swung her blade in a wide arch with the long sword. There was a loud clash of metal meeting metal. Sam gritted her teeth and leapt away. The blade vanished and a snipe rifle filled with armor piercing rounds appeared in its stead. Sam took aim and fired, the villain hit the ground.

A dark movement caught her eyes and she turned her gaze up to the platform with the students. The villain who brought the others made his way up to the platform. Sam heard Aizawa cursed as villains blocked his way to protect his students. Sam rose the stock to her shoulder and her helmet melted away into her armor. Sam leaned forward into a stance to steady herself, gazing through the scope. Anxiety and dread twisted in her gut as she spotted Rin up there. Sam would not fail Asami. Sam moved the scope farther and she could see a metal collar of sorts around the mass of purple smoke. Armor, perhaps? That didn't matter, only thing that did was he had a weakness that Sam could and would exploit. She honed in on the collar as the smoke surged around the students.

A satisfied sneer twisted on her burgundy lips and Sam fired off two shots in quick succession. The shadow villain let out a bellow of pain and rage. The smoke receded away and Sam aimed to strike again when something slammed into Sam. Sam gasped as she was flung into the side of a building, her rifle dropped out of her hands. Sam cried out as stars exploded and she saw numbing white as her skull made contact with concrete. "Fuck!" Sam snarled, standing up on shaky legs. She fought her own body to see clearly without the ever growing black spots in her vision. She could feel the sticky, warm trickle of blood flowing down her face. Sam formed her helmet back into place, not as willing to let her head be exposed again.

Sam turned her furious gaze to a smirking woman. Did she have hooves? Sam's fury faded slightly as she realized that the woman was half goat. Her bottom half was covered in shaggy, brown fur with cloven hooves instead of feet. "Didn't get a date to the prom?" Sam taunted, her burgundy gaze burned at the smug woman who landed a hit on Militia. "I'm sure there was a Minotaur somewhere that would've loved to taken you." A leveler action Winchester formed in her hands, Sam kept the rifle low to her hip.

The woman's smirk fell off of her face and she lunged at Sam. Sam pulled down the lever and fired off a shot. The woman darted to the side and leapt at Sam. Sam pulled the action back and brought the stock to her shoulders. Sam aimed, quickly and fired another shot that met the woman, mid air. She dropped to the ground, motionless. Sam pursed her lips in distaste, just common thugs and small time villains who aren't trained as well as they should've been. Especially, against a professional heroine.

Sam spun around and smashed the stock against an approaching villain. He hit the ground and moved to attack Sam. Sam spun the rifle around and fired off, a finishing shot. Sam hummed, surveying the grounds, slowly but surely the villains' numbers were thinning out. Sam's rifle vanished and she moved to summon something a little more bigger to speed the process up.

Sam felt someone else approaching but was too slow to react, effectively. Burning hot fingers tore into her side, melting past her armor to her soft flesh. Jagged pain blinded her vision as the fingers tried to dig into her side. Sam bit back a whimper as she kicked the attacker away. "Shit." Sam hissed in pain.

Sam looked to a grinning man with elongated fingers that were on fire. The kind of fire you know is hot from experience and the white color. He moved to hit Sam while pain still jaded her reflexes. Sam triggered a hidden blade in her gauntlet and struck the man down. Sam glared as the blade slipped in his chest. He let out a strangled gasp as he crumpled down on the ground.

Sam willed the armor to repair itself and turned back into the fray, ignoring the throbbing pain in her side. "Militia. London's One Woman Army. Britain's Finest. The Queen's Blackened Knight. The femme fatale of this game. What brings you to U.A.?" A raspy voice croaked.

Sam's gaze flickered to the source. Her burgundy eyebrows drew together in confusion at his claim of this being a game. A pale boy with shaggy silver hair stood at the water fountain dressed in loose fitting and frayed clothing. His appearance wasn't anything remarkable except what was attached to him. Several arm less, hands seemed to hold him. He must be the mastermind of this assault on the USJ.

A much taller man stood next to him. Although man wasn't a term, Sam would use for him. Thing suited it much better. It had the kind of muscles that All Might didn't, he had too much. Too much that didn't seem natural to Sam. Inhuman. What disturbed Sam, the most was it's face. It had a beak like mouth filled with sharpened teeth. Bugged eyed, animalistic eyes that didn't have a consciousness behind them. Not a soul. Instead of hair or a skull for that matter, it had an exposed brain like something Sam would see in those retro horror movies that James loved so much.

Sam was ever grateful for her helmet to hide her look of pure horror and disgust. She took a movement to gather herself before she trusted herself to speak. "I could ask you the same, couldn't I?" Sam asked. "How about a trade? You tell me yours and I'll tell you, mine?"

"To see the symbol of peace die." He muttered. "You still fight for them, even though they have suspicions of you and your rather colorful history."

"My past to tell or not to tell." Sam countered, evenly. "I came to U.A. to teach science."

"That's not the whole truth, is it?" He asked, dryly. He knew something more, Sam wanted to find out what but she also wanted them gone as well.

"No, not the whole truth." Sam agreed, softly. "I can be truthful about this, you won't harm my students." She promised, a 1911 pistol formed in her hands. The thing leapt at her with clenched fists and Sam darted to the side and fired off several shots. Sam gaped as the smushed bullets clattered to the floor. Her burgundy gaze flew wide to the soulless eyes of the thing.

"We'll see, won't we? Let's see if you can survive this, Militia."


	18. Militia Falls

A/N: I love to torture my characters! Hehe!

Sam cursed as the thing sprang at her. She threw herself to the side, not wanting to end up in the thing's grasp. Sam didn't have James' deduction quirk to know that she didn't what to land in it's grasp. Her burgundy gaze flickered across the mob, trying to find her dark headed colleague to no avail. Sam had to assume she wouldn't be able to rely on him if need be. Sam grimaced, she didn't like not having back up. She fired off a couple of foolish shots before disregarding the use of a pistol.

Another nodachi formed in Sam's hands and she swiped at the thing. The thing had some primal intelligence as it squawked like a disturbed bird and dodged her attack. Sam grimaced in disgust as a long, thick tongue rolled out of its mouth as saliva drooled out of it's gaped mouth. Gross.

Sam darted forward and jabbed the blade into it's side. Her sharp blade penetrated its side where a bullet could not and it let out another squawk as blood splattered to the ground. Sam smirked, finding a weakness. She twisted the blade and the thing let out a hiss. It retreated away from Sam, seeing the hesitation in it's eyes. It reconsidered Sam as a helpless prey. Her burgundy lips twisted into a sneer of triumph.

Sam's sword reformed into a tri bladed dagger to inflict more damage. Sam may have found a weakness in the creature but she shouldn't assume victory was certain. "Not blade proof, is it?" Sam asked the handy villain. Another insult fell from her tongue as the creature rushed her, again. She cursed, softly and sidestepped, jabbing the blade into his side.

The creature spun around, a hand as big as her midsection nearly managed to wrap it's sausage like fingers around Sam's neck. Sam dropped to the floor and stabbed his ankle. She dived between his legs to avoid the outstretched hand. Sam distanced herself and something occurred to her. The blade changed to a shorter blade, resembling a WW2 knife. A ballistic knife that Germans favored in the war. Sam watched the blood ooze out the three wounds that she had inflicted. It didn't look phased after Sam's initial blows.

Sam panted, the fights were slowly taking it's toll on her and she could feel her body sicken with nausea. Sam needed her medicine. She moved her hand to a compartment that allowed access to her pockets. Sam kept an eye on the beast as she tried to free her medicine bottle.

"Nomu! End the heroine!" Handy ordered and walked off, leaving Sam to deal with his bigger friend.

"Rude mother fucker." Sam growled and glared as the mastermind retreated away. It lunged at Sam at the villain's command. Sam cursed and ducked under a sweep of his arms. "Fuckity fuck!" Sam growled and drove the ballistic knife into her previous attack. She triggered the ballistic and the blade was ejected deeper into the 'Nomu's' side. Sam couldn't see if the blade went through it, entirely. She doubted that it managed to run the beast, through and through.

It roared and a knee smacked Sam in the side of her skull. Sam gasped and she was flung away. Pain exploded where he impacted her skull and Sam groaned. Sam scrambled to get back onto her feet. Sam let out a strangled cry as the Nomu stomped down on her leg. This Nomu bent the metal of the Leg armor like it was paper. The femur bone snapped under it's monstrous power as if a child snapped a brittle twig in a park.

Crack!

Sam let out a small scream as she could feel the bone break under tremendous pressure. Pain flooded her, drowning her in each wave. The nerves were alerting her of the danger and injury, telling her to get away. Sam couldn't stay put, she had to move if she wanted to live. Sam forced her other leg to move as her broken one was still pinned down under the monster. Sam could barely handle the electric pain racing through her and jammed a hidden blade in her armored boot into the Nomu's knee. She pulled her leg, tearing his muscles apart until it's leg relieved the pressure on her femur.

Sam pulled herself away with a pained moan but didn't get far. Nomu grabbed her and dragged her back. "No!" She cried. A enormous hand grabbed her middle and squeezed. Several more cracks resounded through the weapon heroine. Her whole world vanished and melted into one of pure pain and agony. Sam screamed and grasped fruitlessly at his hand.

"Hey! Assbutt! Stay away from my aunt!" A vaguely familiar voice barely reached Sam's ears over the rush of her anguish. Nomu was blasted away by a hot beam of golden light and Sam gasped as the cause of Sam's misery vanished. Sam's burgundy gaze flickered and the world multiplied and spun. "Aunt Sam?" Rin? Sam thought, fuzzily. Sam tried to move and a stabbing shock stilled her from moving. Sam wanted to curl in on herself but the sheer act shot pins and needles through her.

Sam's armor melted away and Sam felt numb, her body couldn't take the amount of pain she inflicted. Rin crouched over Sam, her staff in her hands. Sam didn't need to look down to know that she was covered in her own blood. She could feel the way her clothes clung to her and how the world spun at the slight movement of her skull. She had severe blood loss that was something she could live with for the time being. "My medicine first." Sam whispered, hoarsely. "In my left pocket." Something caught her eye, the Nomu picked it's self up and moved towards them. Sam grimaced and formed another ballistic knife but the Nomu paused as if it was listening. It turned and walked away. Relief washed over Sam and knife rattled to the ground.

Rin cursed and fished for the bottle. She plucked one pill for Sam. Sam swallowed as best she could, her mouth felt like the Sahara. Rin hovered over Sam, her mouth open in shock. Sam could see a familiar red and white haired boy standing behind Rin. "I'll be fine." Sam hissed out, panting. "You two need to get out of the USJ and get help."

"I'm not leaving you when you're this hurt." Rin protested.

"Yes, you are." Sam growled, cursing Rin's loyalty. "I need to help your home room teacher."

"I saw some students from the shipwreck zone heading towards Aizawa Sensei." Todoroki said. "We need to get them away from the villains."

Sam nodded, she forced all that pain that wreaked through her body into a small corner. This wasn't the time to fall. That could happened later once Rin and the other students were safe. Sam closed her eyes and breathed, in and out. Sam was focusing her mind, calming her raging emotions and gathered her thoughts together. She had to keep moving foreword, Sam opened her eyes and nodded, once more. Sam summoned her armor once more, reinforcing the armor around her broken leg to steady herself to walk. "Okay. We'll go over there and I'll help Aizawa. You two get the students and get the hell out. If you disobey me, Rin... I'll expell you, myself. Same for you, Todoroki. Got it?" Sam decided with a deep frown.

Rin pursed her lips and nodded. "Yes, sensei." They chimed.

"Now, help me up? Please." Sam asked. Rin and Todoroki, each grabbed an arm and pulled Sam to her feet. Sam let out a hiss of pain as she put pressure against her leg. Sam grind her teeth together and followed her students. Rin lingered at Sam's side while Todoroki led the way. Both of her students handled any villain that wandered too close to their wounded teacher. Sam limped on, loosing energy with every step she took.

Sam gasped as the shipwreck zone came into sight. The Nomu straddled over a very bloody Aizawa who fought to remain conscious, holding his head and his arm in its massive grasp. The handy villain crouched over the water where three students stood, frozen in fear. Sam froze, she glanced behind her to the mountain of the rock slide zone as an idea formulated. "Rin, shoot his arm that's holding Aizawa's arm. Todoroki, shoot the other. Use the first trigger to shoot foreword and the second to shoot the mountain behind you. After me" Sam ordered and summoned two dual grappling hooks and passed them over to the pair. Another formed in her own, she rose the large cannon like grappling hook to her shoulder and aimed to his middle. "Hit the red button on the side after the first two triggers." Sam instructed.

Sam fired and the creature recoiled in pain, pullled away from the new attachment in his middle. Sam cried out as she tried to use her broken leg to stabilize herself. Sam stumbled to her knees and squeezed the second trigger, heavy nausea rushed to her brain. It was getting harder to stay conscious, much less try to help Aizawa. Sam hit a small red button on the side and the second coil started to pull Nomu back to the mountain. Sam let go of the grappling hook as her students followed suit with her example. Another grappling hook formed in her hands and she shot another hook into the Nomu's middle.

Sam's gaze flickered over to the Handy Man and watching as he reached for a couple of students. A desert eagle formed in her hand and she fired several shots to the Hand Man. The Nomu rushed in front of her, the bullets falling to the ground, fruitlessly. Sam would curse if she could summon the energy but she did have enough energy to summon a small active grenade and the same hidden blade in her gauntlet. Rin cried out, a warning. Sam shoved the blade into the Nomu's stomach and released the grenade just as

an arm smack into her. The last thing Sam remembered was blonde and then black.


	19. Support for Dame Pond

A/N: Yeah, Sam really doesn't care about not aiming to kill. She was mostly trained by Nathan Dark aka Thanatos. He's secret service/ special forces turned professional hero, so his main goal wasn't to teach Sam how to disarm. It was to end the fight and to ensure that the enemy could not inflict more damage on her or her allies. Sure, if Sam had the goal or motive to not to kill. If there was a purpose to keep her opponent alive, she would take measures for that like when she wasn't aiming to kill in London has fallen. She wanted to see where they were going and what they were up too as well as to have a tactical advantage which that didn't work out for Sam. Plus, in England, Sam would have never been prosecuted because of her connections to monarchy ergo high government officials, her title and the fact that the public stands behind her before the judicial government. Sam is a highly respected public figure in England and she is a well known in America due to being associated with Jo and Ben. Good luck trying to make a case stick to Militia. Some progressive groups and prosecutors have tried in past which I might show in future chapters. Then ultimately and swiftly failed.

Sam felt cold and exposed. That didn't seem right. She cracked an eye open to stare up at bright artificial light. Sam grimaced when she tried to move. Sam had some trouble breathing, her chest felt heavy and unwilling to rise. A harsh cough rattled her slim frame. "Not so fast, Samantha Pond." Full name, that couldn't be good. Sam peered up at the short figure of Recovery Girl. "You have taken quite a bit of damage. A broken femur, several broken ribs, a severe concussion, several lacerations, bruised lungs and you have suffered from extreme blood loss. That 'Nomu' did a number on you." Recovery Girl tutted, softly.

"When you put it like that..." Sam groaned out. "That thing was an absolute monster."

"You're extremely lucky that you weren't worse. Even with my quirk, you'll be in a full leg cast for several weeks." Recovery Girl scolded, she smacked Sam's arm when she tried to pull herself to an upright position. Sam sagged back into the bed with a exaggerated huff. "You were more fortunate unlike Aizawa."

"I couldn't allow that thing to reach my students." Sam protested, guilt nagged at her for Shouta. Sam shouldn't have let him out of her sight. She shouldn't have let them be split up. Sam turned her head to the other side and caught a glimpse of black hair amidst a mass of bandages. He looked worse than when Sam saw him in Nomu's grasp. Sam chewed her bottom lip, looking away from The sleeping Shouta and watched Recovery Girl bustle around the room.

The sweet scent of flowers caught Sam's attention. She looked over to her bedside and saw an assortment of flower bouquets llittering a table and where ever they could fit. Sam smiled, fondly despite her soured mood. "Honestly, they act like I died or something." She scoffed, affectionately. Her gaze lingered to a set of beautiful burgundy roses mixed with enchanting rose gold, rich in the color of the feathery petals and the deep green stem. The rose gold color shimmered at any light. Sam reaches for a petal, touching the silky smooth texture with a widened smile. She knew just who sent these. "Fred." Sam whispered, softly. Sam remembered when Fred said that there were no such thing as rose gold roses and searched to prove her wrong. Only to find that they did exist and Fred proceeded to buy a dozen of burgundy and rose gold roses for every good or bad occasion for Sam. The owner of a little flower shop in London that had a quirk for botany. Her flowers were extremely sought after due to their special beauty and their enteral life. The flowers that the owner created have had their beauty preserved for decades to come.

"No wonder as to why, all of Britain looks up to you." A strong voice chimed. Sam sighed and released the rose, looking over to the green haired woman helping Recovery Girl. "London's victor, a role model to girls everywhere and a the biggest prat that I've ever met. And if you think that this is anything, you should see your classroom. The room looks like a greenhouse, more than anything. I think all of England sent you get wells." Doctor Lily Greene stood at the foot of Sam's bed with her small hands placed on her hips and a concerned scowl on her pretty face.

"Hello, Lily." Sam sighed.

"Don't 'Lily' me." Lily growled, her bright green eyes fixed a glare on Sam. "I was worried sick when Recovery Girl called me. Now, lay still. I want to check your vitals." She placed a glowing green hand on Sam chest.

"Go right ahead."

"Don't be smart with me." Lily snapped, crossly. "James and Tim will be picking you up tomorrow to go home on bed rest for a couple of days. Then, you will be allowed to return to teaching and only on light duty."

"Light duty?" Sam complained.

"You broke a femur, Samantha. Do you know how hard a femur is to break?" Lily asked.

"No, it seemed pretty easy when the Nomu did it."

"Samantha Pond!" Lily scolded.

"Thank you, Lily." Sam responded, drily.

"Hush, Lily. Miss Pond needs to rest before I can allow her to be discharged. Go check on Aizawa." Recovery Girl scolded and Lily shot one last dirty look at Sam before retreating to the other side of the room. "Get some rest." Recovery Girl ordered, softly. She gave Sam's free leg, a gentle squeeze. "You did well, Samantha."

Sam allowed sleep to drift her away.

The next time Sam woke up, a police officer was waiting to take a statement. "Dame Pond? Would you give us your statement." He asked. Sam frowned at him, thinking the meds were making her hallucinate a calico cat in a officer's uniform with a large gold bell tied around his neck with a red ribbon. He had a badge and all. She squinted and had to pinch her inner arm to verify that this was in fact, real.

"Of course. Ask away." Sam nodded.

"Could you retell what happened to you at the USJ?" He asked.

"Sure." Sam agreed, knowing that at some point she would have too. Better to do this while here than be bothered at home. So, she recounted the events leading and during the attack on the USJ. Once the officer seemed satisfied with his notes and details, he bid her, a good day and swift recovery.

Then Sam was bored and unable to sleep. Shouta was still soundlessly asleep in the next bed. Lily as well as Recovery Girl were nowhere in sight within the confines of the Nurse's Office. Sam had no one to talk too. So, she flicked her phone on and watched the BBC for the news. To see if Lily was just full of it.

Sam watched the handsome reporter at the studio give a run down of the events of the USJ and introduced a female field reporter that Sam vaguely recognized with several Londoners. "After the events at U.A., what would you say to Militia?" She turned to an elderly man, far past his prime but still preserved that fiery, young spark in his wise eyes.

"I would tell her that she's doing her country proud and showing those high and mighty heroes over in Japan what England is made of! Keep at it, Militia!" He grinned in the screen and Sam smiled. "Keep doing what you do, love!"

The auburn reporter that Sam believed to be named Sally Sparrow turned to a young girl, probably just in primary school. The little girl stood next to her mother, holding her mother's larger hand. "Do you like Militia?" She asked the wide eyed girl with a cheery, faux voice.

"Yeah! She's my favorite!" She grinned at the reporter, showing several missing teeth.

"Why is that?"

"Because she's a ass kicking badass and I want to be just like her when I grow up!"

"Rebecca!" Her mother scolded with a scarlet face of embarrassment and anger. Sam laughed.

"Let's get back to the studios." The reporter talked quickly over the rambling girl.

Sam shut off her phone with a fond, light heart. Lily was right, after all. She looked over to the table of flowers, stuffed animals and even chocolates with a smile. A red, white and blue bouquet in a clear vase tied with a red, white and blue bow. Sam plucked the card, thinking it would be Jo or Ben. Her sweet smile dropped as she read the sender's note.

 _Get well soon! I can't have my British counterpart out of commission! See you at the sports festival!_

 _-with love, Dylan Houston_

Samantha grimaced as she read and set the note back down on the table, not agreeing to the implications of the note or the sender, himself. Maybe some more sleep will help ease her. Sam settled down in the covers and closed her eyes, begging sleep to take her.


	20. The Road to Recovery

Aizawa Shouta glanced over to the burgundy haired woman, sleeping soundlessly in the bed next to him. Deep purple bruises littered her normally pale, smooth face. He could spot the large leg cast through the white sheets. Shouta would frown but the effort would be too much, right now. This woman had fought the Nomu before him and Samantha held it off and had severely wounded the creature when he could barely stand against the creature. Even that he was beaten, easily. She suffered from the fight to keep the thing at bay from him and his students. She was something else. Shouta couldn't decide whether Samantha was foolishly stupid or extremely brave. Whatever Shouta chose to think of her, she had his respect.

The door of the Nurse's office creaked open. Shouta turned his head to see who entered. Two men walked in with a rich brown overcoats over dark blue suits. He recognized the tall, dark figure as James and the short man wearing glasses as Tim. James recognized Shouta under all of his bandages and sent a small nod to the teacher as he moved to his best friend's side. Shouta took that to be courtesy of his deduction quirk. "Sam's still asleep?" James asked him, looking over to Samantha with concern.

"She fell asleep about an hour ago." Shouta answered, stiffly.

"How are you doing?" Tim asked, sympathy flashing in his gaze.

"Better than Samantha." Shouta mumbled back.

"That much is right, where were you?" James asked, crossly. He turned away from his sleeping friend to glower at Shouta with a bright anger lingering in his stormy grey gaze. "Where were you when that thing snapped her leg like a twig? When it squeezed her until she screamed?"

'He's seen the security recordings.' Shouta thought, darkly. Nezu showed Shouta when he had requested to know what happened to his comatose roommate. He glanced back over to Sam, she was stronger than she appeared to be.

"James." Tim chided his fiancée, sharply. "Sam is Sam. This is what Sam does, what she has always done. We both know this. Aizawa does not. There is no one to blame here, not even Sam. You should know better than anyone with your quirk."

James pursed his lips at Tim but didn't care to respond, knowing that he was wrong and Tim was correct.

"We'll leave and let you rest too. I'll tell Jess to let us know when Sam is well enough to teleport to her apartment. I hope you get well, soon. Sasha must be going up the walls, let's go." Tim smiled at Aizawa and turned to James who was glaring at the cast on Samantha's leg. "James Rogers."

James seemed to snap out of his daze and nodded, dutifully at his fiancée. Tim pulled James out of the room by his hand as if he were a child. Shouta stared after the couple with aspiration. Tim seemed to be the clam and more level headed partner. While James had the fire that he and Sam shared. the warmth to protect and the heat to defend. The pair were right, Samantha was ready lay her own life down for him and his students and she barely knew them. Shouta looked back over to the serene burgundy haired woman and his lips quirked ever so slightly up in amusement. Samantha was foolishly stupid and the self sacrificing idiot... She would fit right in with the other teachers. Shouta decided with the smallest hint of a smile.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Samantha was brought home to her bed via Tim's portal. Sam eased herself out of the Stuff hospital gown and into a nightgown, she winced at ever movement as her body protested her. and James tucked her in with a fond, smug grin that he is taking care of her when it was normally her and Tim taking care of him. She was left to rest or channel surf. Sasha wandered in behind Tim and settled herself by Sam's side with a small whine. Sasha rested her head on her lap, stared up at Sam with big startling blue eyes. Tim wandered down to the kitchen and started cooking bulk dinners for Sam to freeze and heat up, so she didn't have to try to cook with her leg and injures.

Sam flipped to the BBC as she ran a hand through Sasha's silky fur. The news wasn't anything new or out of the ordinary, some random activist wanted quirk control, an extremist group attacked a quirk less function with extreme collateral damage but a large part of the evening news was still focused on Militia. Even after several days. BBC had sent reporters to Buckingham to question the royals' reaction and to Japan to question U.A. trying to place the blame on the school for lack of security. The news was trying to play to blame game. Same old, same old.

Sam flipped through the channels and settled on some good old Supernatural. Rin got her hooked on Supernatural, one summer when she stayed with Jo. The pair shared their favorite characters besides the boys. Charlie, Crowley and Gabriel. Both agreed that Lucifer was cool until treating Crowley like a dog and the whole season leading up to Jack's birth, then he was an asshole. As well as the fact that Metatron had a special place in Hell, reserved for him. Him alone.

Sam settled down under her comforter. Two small blackish cats jumped up on the bed. "Hello, Sirius. Remus." Sam grinned at her two kittens. "You two aren't going to be assholes and visit me?" She asked and moved her hand to stroke the closet to her, which was the ever moody Remus. He let out a soft purr as Sam scratch his ears. Remus settled by Sam's shoulder and head. Sirius hopped over Sam's legs and settled where she could continuously give him attention. Sam smiled and mindlessly stroked both, cat and dog while drifting off to sleep to the smooth rumble of Crowley's voice.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Tim and James stayed at Sam's town house in the evenings after work to help Sam out with whatever she needed: cooking, cleaning, changing, showering. The school gave Sam, two weeks medical leave and tried to give Shouta the same. The stubborn man refused and Sam tried but was quickly hushed by both; Tim and James. Sam mostly stayed in bed with her leg propped up on a pillow for about a week. Sasha remained glued to her side for most of that time; only leaving for food, water and walks. Sirius and Remus stayed with her throughout the nights for the most part. Sam made her way through the entire series of Supernatural, Sherlock (All 9 episodes) and most of the way through New Who in a little over a week.

Sam managed to hobbled downstairs while juggling a laundry basket on a Tuesday morning to try and do laundry (which was difficult with crutches and a two handed basket.). Sam day on the last step to catch her breath, her lungs weren't quite ready for that exertion yet. Sam wanted to do her laundry herself, many things she was alright with Tim and James doing but she wasn't as comfortable letting them handle her lacy delicates.

The sweet scent of flowers flooded her senses and Sam eyed the mass of colorful flowers littering her home. Tim moved the flowers and get wells from U.A. to her living room. Apparently, more arrived over the week that spilled into the dining room and then to kitchen. Sam smiled. Sam loved and despised being cared for. Lacking that care and love for most of Sam's early years damaged her heart. These helped ease the scars on her soul. Yet, Sam could never for the life of her, figure out why they cared for someone like her.

Sam sighed and moved to go to the laundry room when the front door bell rang that sent Sasha into a barking frenzy. The husky made a mad dash to the door, eager to see who was there. Sam frowned at the door, set her basket down on the floor and hobbled over on her crutches to answer. She wasn't in the most presentable at the moment. A knotty bed head and a wrinkly nightgown with absolutely no make of any kind. Not to mention the ugly purple and yellow bruises that still littered her slim frame. Sam rubbed a drool mark, furiously trying to rid herself of it.

Sam peered through the eye hole and groaned at her luck and the sight of the blue head. Iida Tensei. How did he know where she lived? She didn't have to think much when bright blonde, gravity defying hair came into her mind. Hizashi... Sam sighed, heavily and opened the door with a tried smile. "Hello!" Sam greeted with faux happiness. "What a surprise! I suspect Hizashi gave you my address?"

Tensei offered her, a sheepish grin. "Yeah. I heard about the attack from U.A. from my brother. I wanted to see how you were doing. The news said that you and Shouta were injured.

"Yeah." Sam opened the door further to show case her cast in all it's glory. "Sorry that I'm a mess. I wasn't expecting anyone beside James and Tim. Come right in." Sam moved out of the way, so Tensei could slid in and closed the door.

"Roommates?" Tensei asked, letting Sam lead the way into her home. He walked, leaning down as he did so to scratch Sasha's head.

"Overprotective friends." Sam muttered, crossly. "They were insistent on helping me and wouldn't take no for an answer. I appreciate it, all in all but I'm certainly no damsel. You can make yourself at home, I was starting a load of laundry."

"Here, let me help." Tensei offered and moving to retrieve the basket. Sam's burgundy gaze widened, on top of the white basket with her see through delicates bag on top. Several lacy bra and panties were easily distinguishable through the mesh. Sam made a odd noise of shock in the back of her throat. Sam shooed Tensei away when he reached for her laundry basket.

"I got it!" Sam cried, hurriedly. She plucked the basket up, quicker than Tensei. A. Not wanting someone to help her. And B. Not wanting a cute guy to see her underwear when it wasn't on her. She tried desperately to juggle the basket with the crutches and try to hobble to her laundry room as fast as she could.

"Nonsense." Tensei easily finessed the basket away from Sam. Sam wanted to lunge for it but her leg would not allow. She was doomed. He held the basket, high above his head. His blue eyes dared Sam to try and jump with her broken leg.

"I don't want a guy to look at my things." Sam rushed out, desperately. She stressed the end of her sentence.

Tensei flushed, a deep scarlet when he caught on what Sam's things meant. He stared at the wall behind Sam, still keeping a determined grip on the basket. "Oh." He stammered out. "Well then... Well then, I'll keep my eyes close and you guide me there." To show, Tensei tucked the basket under his arm and closed his eyes. Such a gentleman. Sam started at the blue haired man and smiled.

"Alright." Sam relented and reached out, grabbing his hand. She place the nicely warm and larger hand on her shoulder and led the way to her laundry room. Sam set her things to wash and led Tensei back into the living room. "Thank you." Sam smiled at Tensei.

"No problem." Tensei brushed Sam's gratitude off, gently. "You needed help."

"Do you want anything to drink?" Sam asked, she hopped into the kitchen to turn the kettle on. "Tea?"

"Yes, please." Tensei asked. "Are you going to U.A.'s sports festival, next week?" He asked, curiously as he took a seat at the bar.

"Yes?" Sam said, confused. "That's the festival where the students preform to gain attention from hero agencies, yeah?" Sam offered Tensei, a tin of tea bags to select and a thing of milk and sugar.

"Yes. It's the first year that my brother will be preforming. I wish I could go but I cannot." Tensei smiled, fondly.

"Well, my niece is competing. So, I'll definitely be there. If you'd like, I can give you the blow by blow?" Sam offered, leaning on the counter to get weight off her leg. She peered up at the taller man, he wasn't that far away from her at all. Tensei offered her, a bright grin and started to respond when a loud pop resounded throughout the living room accompanied by the turning of a key in a lock. Tensei tensed, not knowing what made the noise.

"Hello, my dear. What in the bloody hell are you doing downstairs?" Tim asked, stalking into the kitchen from the living room. A disappointed frown tugging on his handsome face.

"Uh, tea?" Sam tried, not helping her cause at all.

"Aunt Sam?" Rin called out from the front door. "Tim? What are you doing here?" Sam turned her head to the door and opened her mouth to answer her niece.

"Sit down, Samantha Pond. Right now... Ah, Rin. Come in for dinner." Tim ordered, sternly. "Don't argue with me. You too." Tensei blinked surprised by the demand and glanced over to the retreating Sam. She looked over and shrugged. Sam mouthed, 'Go with it' and sat down at the table. "Come help me with dinner, James!"


	21. A Talk with the Erasure Hero

Sam stayed in bed for another week after Tim threatened to bring Jo. Jo wasn't one to scorn and she would have been furious if she had to cross an ocean to scold Samantha. Sam had finished New Who and most of the MCU movies by the time Sunday evening came around. She was throughly bored out of her mind. Sam graded all of her papers and she had planned all of her classes up to the end of the year. Sam was deemed able to return to teaching. She still had her cast and would for another week but she could teach. Just in time for the Sports Festival.

Sam waved James and Tim, goodbye and reassured the two that she would be grand. Sam could barely sleep, Sunday night. After spending two weeks in bed made her, a bit stir crazy. Sam spent her night tossing and turning. She tried to watch TV. Sam was restless and ended up walking Sasha which would earn her, an earful from James and Tim if they found out. Tim had given Sam a tracking collar that is used for police dogs to track them if taken or after they were set loose on some poor unfortunate soul. So, Sam let Sasha off the leash as she hobbled behind. The dog and human made their way to a nearby park in the early morning. Where Sam sat heavily on a bench, panting upon arrival. She hated this lack of strength. Her lungs were still recovering and her leg ached in waves of pain. That Nomu had been the bane of Sam's existence within an hour at the USJ. In that hour, he caused weeks of pain for her.

Sam sighed, looking back to the sky. Dark shades of blue danced and mingled together, painting a beautiful night. A breathtaking big full moon hung in the center, not taking away from the serenity of the blues. Accenting the blues well. Countless glittering stars danced across the endless stretch, parading their way with silvery brightness. Sam breathed in the crisp night air. Sam loved to take midnight strolls when she lived in London. She found comfort in the calm blackness of night. Sam would sneak out of the palace in the middle of the night to sit in the garden, growing up. It wasn't quite the same here than her old home but still comforting, all the same. "Shouldn't you be resting?" A deep, tired voice asked.

Sam jolted, slightly. A tri bladed dagger forming in her hand. She looked up to meet Aizawa Shouta's tired gaze. She relaxed and banished the blade. "I've been in bed for two weeks... I'm tired of resting. I need to move and be active. I hate sitting still." Sam admitted with the smallest hint of a smirk. "How are you?" She asked, taking in the bandages still wrapped around his head that weren't his capture weapons.

"Better than you." Shouta retorted, softly. "Better than the Nomu."

"I didn't see what I did." Sam said, she was somewhat curious as to how her grenade affected the monstrosity. "The grenade was a highly explosive one. The building destroying kind."

"Scrambled his insides." Shouta agreed as he sat beside her on the bench. "You made All Might's job easier when he arrived. You took a lot of energy out of him and however tired All Might was, Nomu wasn't a match for him." Shouta praised, although it looked like he hated to do so.

"Pity that I couldn't see it through." Sam muttered, sourly. "All of the students are alright, right?"

"Everyone was fine, except us and Thirteen." Shouta explained.

"What happened to Thirteen?" Sam turned to Shouta, concern flashed in her burgundy eyes. Guilt grasped her and her mind flashed back to when she told Shouta that she would be better off in the thick of the mob alongside him. "Is he okay?"

"It's not your fault." Shouta scolded when he glanced over to Sam biting her bottom lip. He recognized the burning regret in Sam's eyes as the what he felt when he saw her limping across the USJ with two of his students. "He's still recovering but fine. This is the villains' fault, none of ours."

Sam sent him, a poor attempt at a smile. "Sure." She agreed, skeptically. Asami's words from so long ago echoed within Sam and her gaze dropped to the dew soaked grass. "Yeah, alright." Sam relented to Shouta, softly. Sasha came trotting through the park and sat by Sam's feet. Bright blue eyes blinked up at Sam, Sam smiled and ruffled her damp fur.

"I never cared for dogs." Shouta muttered, glancing down at a grinning Sasha.

"It used to be the same for me... I got Sasha during a rough time in my life. James believed she would be helpful and gave me, a little husky puppy. I didn't know what to do with her. I never liked dogs." Sam explained, softly as she scratched Sasha's ears. The husky panted up at her with affection in her intelligent eyes. "My cats are antisocial little buggers. However, Sasha's seemed to know just what I needed when I didn't even know what I needed." Shouta didn't respond to that but a pale hand gave Sasha, an awkward pat on her front haunches. Sasha nosed his hand with a wet, pink nose.

The pair sat in comfortable silence, at ease in each other's company. "I assume that I'm off of the school's list of suspects?" Sam asked.

Shouta didn't seemed too surprised by Sam's knowledge. Shouta probably made the connection between her and James and New Scotland Yard. "For now, yes." Shouta admitted. "The principal received two royal letters and a flashdrive, the day after the attack on the USJ explaining why you would not work with villains. As well as providing the necessary proof for the principle... You have already been cleared of all charges, by that point in time."

"Glad to be somewhat trustworthy again." Sam hummed, unamused. "Did you see what it contained?" She asked after a moment.

"No." Shouta answered, shortly. "Whatever was on it satisfied the principal. What the flash drive contained was none of my business."

"Thank you for not wanting to look." Sam said, gratefully. She peered at the skyline, seeing the deep blues lighten to a gentle purple. Morning was arriving, joggers started to appear as the lightening sky welcomed them. Soft chirping could be heard in the distance as animals stirred. Soft sunlight trickled through tree branches. A new day has begun, Sam quoted to herself with a reminiscing grin. Sam patted Sasha and the husky moved away, obediently. Sam grabbed the crutches and pulled herself up. "Well, I'm heading for a cup before going to change for school. Care to join me?" Sam asked, looking down at her colleague and offered a hand.

"Yeah." Shouta took the offered hand and let Sam pretend to pull him up. She didn't have the leverage pr strength to pull him up with her crutches and leg. Shouta pulled himself feet and Sam released him with a friendly smile.

Sam, Shouta and Sasha walked down to the coffee shop closest to her place. Sam ordered her typical triple mocha frap with five extra shots along with an apple fritter and a doggy treat. Shouta ordered a black coffee and a croissant. The pair sat at a nearby table. Sam tried to ignore the strange looks given to them by the other patrons. "I never asked, what were you doing out this early?" Sam asked after a long, delicious first sip from her frosty drink. "You don't seem the type to be an early bird." Sam tossed the doggy treat down to Sasha, who quickly devoured the treat.

"You don't either." Shouta pointed out over the rim of his mug.

"I alternate." Sam declared with a small smile. "I go between early bird and night owl."

Shouta quirked an amused eyebrow but he didn't bother to reply. "I'm used to my hero shifts, being late until morning. I haven't been able to work as a hero since the injury but I'm still used to the odd hours." He explained.

Sam hummed an agreement and bobbed her burgundy hair. "James hasn't let me touch the Ripper case and restricted my access to the police database. I've been bored out of my mind for two weeks going stir crazy." Sam added, sympathizing with Shouta. "So, the Sports Festival starts today?" She asked.

"Yeah, you picked a great day to come back to teach. Today's classes will be short. Just long enough to give assignments and then off to the stadium." Shouta sighed.

"Yay, more siting around." Sam cheered with sarcasm. "How is it?" She asked.

"Not too bad, just."

"Reporter? Media?" Sam guessed.

Shouta offered Sam, a small smirk. "That sums it up, nicely." He agreed and that sent Sam into a fit of soft giggles. "It's a mystery as to why you hate the media. The darling heroine of England."

Sam stopped laughing as he asked a question without asking. She took a long sip of her drink. "My teacher, Nathan told me too."

Shouta let out a small scoff of disbelief and lack of respect. "You allowed someone to tell you what to do? I thought you had more of a backbone than that."

Sam bristled at the harsh words from the erasure hero. "Nathan raised me since-!" Sam caught herself just as she went to throw all her soul and all of her secrets over a cliff. Secrets she's worked to keep since childhood. Sam bit her lip and straightened her posture as Nathan taught her, so long ago. "Because of what I've endured, Nathan placed measures to keep me in the limelight far after I left the palace to start life. He did this so if someone like me disappeared; the world would know rather than a lowly heroine that no one would care for... No one would truly miss me if I wasn't the Militia of today. James and Tim, the royals, the Shimizus, Nathan would, however everyone else I loved is dead. In the end if the end ever came, it would be my family against them."

"I keep in the Media's eye to ease Nathan's stress and worry. I try to stay in the forefront of everyone's minds over there as Dame Pond; as Militia. Yes, I argue with the vultures, all the time. I can't stand the sleazy reporters but I also cannot stand it if my family were left to fight a hopeless fight on their own. I do that for them." Sam growler, her burgundy gaze flashed with a fierce fire baring down at Shouta's calmer black gaze.

Shouta stared, silently. Sasha began to lick at Sam's hand and she turned her gaze down to ease her worried husky. "Alright." He said at last. Sam turned her gaze back to him. "Are they still a threat, to you?" He asked.

Sam blinked at him, surprised at his curiosity. Sam couldn't discern the look in Shouta's eyes but she trusted that emotion she saw. It flickered back into the dark depths of his eyes, too fast for her to delve deeper into. Sam pursed her lips as she concluded her thoughts. He was concerned for the safety of the school and students. Sam sighed, heavily. "No, not that we are aware. As far as we are concerned with they have been dismantled. We saw to it after the Americans failed." She answered, vaguely.

"Alright." Shouta breathed out, satisfied with Sam's response and finished his cup of coffee.

After another moment of silence, Sam asked to change the subject and to ease the tension. "So, I heard that you expelled an entire class. What's the story on that?"

The pair stayed at the coffee shop until they finished their food and drinks. They didn't talk too much, each were comfortable in each other's company. Sam left after realizing that everything became more complicated with her leg cast and hurried back home to get ready for the day.


	22. The First Day Back

Samantha returned home from the coffee shop and changed out of her nightgown and into a dress due to her cast. She could have worn something else but it wouldn't be as appealing like a humongous, visible cast under a dress. So, she opted for a long, cream sundress made from a sheer material over a soft under layer. A brown, decorative belt hung around the middle. Sam chose one boot to wear and a blue jean jacket over the bare shoulders to abide by the school's dress code rules.

Sam had applied her foundation as heavily as she could without looking tacky and she came from the red light district. She wanted to cover the bruising as much as possible. She finished her makeup and made her way downstairs to get ready to leave. Sam gave Sasha, one last scratch and tried to pet at a elusive Remus. She stepped out of her home and locked the door, heading over to where she parked M and off to U.A. she went.

Sam sighed after she entered her classroom after the ever long trek up to her classroom on the second floor. Her leg protested the whole way up, the whole journey in general. A dull throbbing ache seem to pulsate through her entire leg, a painful spasm jolted through Sam. Nearly made her topple down the flight of stairs if she didn't have an iron grip on the guide rails.

It was surprising how she actually missed this room, even as it has only been her's for a short while. Sam didn't bother in trying to figure out it if was more relief that her treacherous trek was finally over or if she really did miss the classroom. Sam smiled as she sat on her comfy rolling chair and got to grading, she was behind on the grades. A knock on her door startled Samantha out of her train of thought. Her gaze flickered to where Rin and Momo stood in the doorway. "How may I help you, ladies?"

"Actually, it's how can we help you?" Rin asked, Momo nodded behind her.

Sam smiled, tightly. "I don't need any help, Rin." She shook her head.

"Oh? Recovery Girl said you should still stay off that leg and surely after being on medical leave, you have papers to run?" Rin challenges, a determined spark flashed in her electric blue eyes. "I will tell Jo and Ben that you aren't following the doctor's orders. Or better yet, I'll tell James."

Sam pursed her lips at her niece, glowering but Rin wasn't backing down. "Please, Sensei?" Momo asked from behind Rin.

Sam sighed and glanced at the clock on the wall, an hour until the first bell. "I might have some papers to be copied and I might have some papers from my older classes that need to be graded." She relented, shuffling through the piles until she reached a stack with a pink sticky note that read 'needs to be copied.' Sam grabbed a second stack from a metal bin of papers that needed to be graded as well as grading keys to the paper. Momo took the papers that needed to be copied and Rin took the papers that needed to be graded, a red pen and the keys. Momo smiled and took off for the copy room in the teacher's lounge. Rin settled herself at the closet desk to Sam and started grading. "I'm fine." Sam spoke after several silent minutes dragged by without a word. Rin was usually more chatty than this, Sam frowned at her papers. Her demeanor completely changed since Momo left the room. Sam recognized that as the facade Rin wore for most of her younger school years.

"Sure." Rin huffed back without looking up from her papers.

"I've been through far worse than this. I can handle far more than you think." Sam stressed, watching Rin paused from the furious scribbling of the scarlet pen. At least, she was getting some kind of response from her niece.

"And I cannot loose another aunt." Rin snapped back, bright blue eyes glared at Sam with such an intensity that made Sam lean back in her chair in surprise. The glare vanished and hurt took it's place. "I can't." Rin repeated, weakly. Sam cursed herself for not realizing that this was Rin's first time in this situation. Villains weren't new to her, same song but a different tune. Conflict that Rin could participate in was very new to Rin. Unlike Sam who was a seasoned professional heroine, this was the beginning of Rin's journey as a heroine. The young Shimizu felt guilt hanging over her for not aiding Sam in time to prevent Sam's injuries.

"You won't." Sam swore, vehemently. She knew that would be nearly impossible to keep that promise with her line of work. Just in today's society alone made her promise, small and insignificant but Rin needed to hear this. Sam pushed herself around the desk in her chair with her good leg and her hands to grab leverage to pull herself to Rin. Sam gripped Rin's hand with both of hers. "I promise you that you won't ever lose me, alright?"

Rin seemed to understand just how impossible Sam's words were and hesitated. "Alright?" Sam pressed, firmly.

"Alright." Rin nodded. "Are you okay?" She asked.

"Never better." Sam lied to the girl with a bright smile, rolling back to her desk. "Are you?"

"Peachy keen." Rin responded as she started to scan over the papers, watching for incorrect responses. Sam snorted in amusement at the term that Jo used, so often. She leaned back in her seat to observe the young Shimizu. Rin's oddly curled, blonde hair and electric blue eyes were so reminiscent of Jo's petite physic. The way she held herself as she walked and talked; her back straight and polite posture as well as manners. Things that Jo ingrained in Rin when she lived with her, things a proper southern woman would do without thought. Her mannerisms and speech pattern, all but screamed Jo. Sam smirked and glanced down to her pile.

"Y'know... I could've mistaken you for Jo's kid if I were a stranger, not Tsubaki's." Sam said with a fond look on her face as her red pen scribbled short responses on the essays from the third years. "You are a spitting image of her."

"Really?!" Rin asked, excitedly. Her soft eyes danced with a happiness that warmed Sam's heart. "You really think that?"

"Definitely." Sam agreed with a small wink and a broad grin.

Ding! Ding!

Sam scowled at the ceiling where the loud speaker sat in the center of her classroom. The first bell had rung signifying the start of the day. Momo ran in and handed the papers to Sam and grabbed her bag. "Goodbye Sensei. Come on, Rin!"

Rin smiled at Sam and grabbed her bag, setting the papers in Sam's basket and the pair headed to the door. "Bye, Aunt Sam. Keep an eye out for me during the sports fest!"

"I'll be sure too! Thank you too for all of your help!" Sam called out to them with a wave. At least she didn't need to hobble to print copies. Sam smiled and continued to grade the papers. She spent the rest of the extremely shortened free period, grading the rest of the essays. The bell rang for the second period and class 1-A filed in. "Good morning, class." She greeted.

Twenty two pairs of eyes honed in on Rin with worry and concern. "Good morning." They chimed, hesitatingly.

"I am perfectly fine and on the road to recovery. I look worse than I'm really am." Sam smiled, passing out papers. "So, I know the lot of you are too excited to get much work done. I'll be passing out our graded papers and a short assignment over your textbook for homework. As long as you all don't get too loud, you can talk and enjoy yourselves. If you get too loud... Then book work. The choice is yours." Sam's smile turned a tad bit sinister.

The students gulped and nodded, moving to converse amongst each other. They did well to keep their volume down as they chatted. Sam tried passed the assignment and the graded papers but Momo, Mina and Rin were quick to intercept the weapon heroine. Sam's tugged up in a fond smile for her kind hearted students and relinquished her papers over. The three girls passed the papers out and Sam settled back into her seat and start to grade more papers. The bell rang not too long after. The day passed by in a blur and before Sam could comprehend, an announcement that all students were to report to the stadium's locker area. Sam dismissed her last class and collected more papers that needed to be graded and hummed as she made her way to the stadium.

Sam quirked an eyebrow at the stands of merchandise outside of the massive stadium. Almost as big as a professional stadium, it looked like the school had spared no expense on the structure. Sam never been to a Sports Festival, she has of course heard of it over in England but never cared to observe. She was happy with her office of sidekicks and support staff to care about the foreign options. Sam was curious as to what this would entail, a tiny smile tugged on her lips in excitement of something new. "There is my favorite copy cat heroine." Sam froze, she recognized that voice and the American southern accent. She didn't have the energy to deal with that man, not now and not ever.

"Hello, Dylan." Sam sighed.

"Did you get my flowers? I hope you weren't badly injured."

Sam pursed her lips at the dark brown haired man, how could she have forgotten the card that came with the lively patriotic flowers. "No, it must have gotten lost amidst all of the other get wells." Sam said and offered a small satisfied smirk as a frown tugged on his handsome face. "There was so, so many."

A bright smile sprang back on Dylan's face, "Well, surprise!" He grinned and spread his arms wide like he was presenting himself as god's gift to humanity.

Oh, joy. Sam fought the urge to recoil from Dylan in distaste. Her burgundy gaze flickered to a flamboyant figure behind him that was swarmed by adoring fans. She glared and his piercing eyes widened in surprise behind yellow aviator sunglasses. Hizashi quirked an eyebrow over to Sam, taking in her rigid, uncomfortable posture. He talked, quickly to his fans with his gaze still focused over on Sam and Dylan. Sam hated the fact that Hizashi had wanted attention from dear fans while Sam did not want Dylan's unwarranted attention, at all. She would pay someone to take his attention by any means.

"Watching the Sports Festival, eh? Care for some company?"

Sam choked. What on earth did she do to warner this punishment? Just smite me and get the suffering over with! She growled, glaring at the sunny sky. "I'm actually just-... just-..." Sam cried out out, clawing for any excuse to escape Dylan's company.

"She is just commentating the Sports Festival with me and Aizawa." A smooth, energetic voice chimed in, a leather clad arm was thrown over Sam's shoulder as Hizashi slid up to her side. "Y'know, another perspective." Sam relaxed under Hizashi's arm, happy with the back up.

She paused. "Commentating?" Sam asked, glaring at Hizashi.

"Need any help?" Dylan asked, eagerly.

"Nope, teachers only. Sammy will have to catch you later." Hizashi shot him down with a surprising ruthlessness and ease.

"Is that the American pro hero, Dylan Houston." One of the crowd that had flocked around Hizashi asked.

"It is! Armada!"

"Armada!" Another called and Sam grinned at Dylan's mildly annoyed face despite her own displeasure.

The crowd swarmed around Dylan and Hizashi waved as the pair slipped away. "Thank you! Supposed that I have to commentate now?" Sam asked, dryly with a quirked eyebrow at Hizashi.

"Yeah!" Hizashi sang, leading Sam through the crowds and into the stadium. He easily took the lead as the pair weaves through the crowds. "What's Armada's deal with you, Sammy?" He asked as the two of them walked up the bleachers.

"To be a thorn in my side." Sam drawled, sarcastically. "He thinks we are alike because we have similar quirks. Ergo, friends. Besties." Sam explained, dryly.

"And? Friends are good."

"He is so annoying, haven't you noticed?"

"I'm annoying."

"You are very sweet and cute, not annoying like Dylan." Sam replied in a matter of fact tone.

Sam spotted a bright blush dancing Hizashi's face. "Come on. We have another commentator to catch!" Sam sweat dropped and was dragged along to what she suspected to be the teachers spectators area. This was shaping up to be a very eventful day, Sam thought.


	23. The Sports Festival

Sam sighed as she settled next to Aizawa at the table over looking the arena. She frowned at the microphones, this would be fun. "He dragged you into this too, huh?" He asked.

"Well, he saved me from Armada. So fair is fair." Sam hummed back. "Plus, I have to admit that this does have the best seat in the house."

"Here you go!" Hizashi presented Sam with a frappe.

"Thank you." Sam grinned up to him as she took a sip of pure bliss of caffeine, "Coffee makes the world go round."

"Doesn't it?" Shouta agreed through his bandages, taking the black coffee from Hizashi. "Should you even be commentating? Wouldn't you be biased for your nieces?"

As bad as Sam felt for his wounds, she had to bite back a snort at how ridiculous he looked. She was already on the highway to Hell, might as well enjoy the journey. A small smirk graced her lips. Damn, her jaw was still sore from USJ. "Maybe that's true that I am biased, but I could also make the argument that I would be more harsh on them because they're my family. Hm?"

"Yeah."

Sam turned her attention down to Midnight as she explained to the students what they would be doing. A race around the arena with obstacles, a certain number of students that come in first would move on. "Kinda plain, ain't it?" She mused. Sam blinked in surprise as she heard the disgruntled murmurings of the audience. They were on air now, then. Damn it. "Just a relay?"

"What did you go through in your hero training, Sammy?" Hizashi asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I was stranded in the wilderness for three weeks to survive on my own." Sam murmured.

"Well, that's not so bad with your weapon quirk." Hizashi rebutted, eagerly in to his mic. "Now-!"

"I was also evading two special operations teams of the crown with several pro heroes working alongside them." Sam added, watching the students and Midnight. "Good survival training and evasion tactics. Russia is colder than Satan's left nipple." Hizashi and Shouta peered over to the burgundy haired woman. What kind of childhood did she have? They both wondered about their colleague as she stared out of the commentator's booth.

Sam kept her gaze to the students as they lined up to to the start, "The first obstacle, huh?" She mused watching the mass of students pressing themselves around the smaller entrance.

"The doorway." Shouta agreed.

Midnight sounded the horn and the students were off. Sam lost sight on Ron's blonde head in the mob or blue and white. Sam's gaze flickered to the video screen. The view was on the outside of the arena and Rin clearly teleported outside and used her staff to push herself into the air as Todoroki froze the side of the arena and the ground surrounding the the exit.Sam's gaze widened to see the shear scale of the quirk and that was only half. "Woah." Sam has to bite back a laugh as Rin landed on her butt due to slippery ice. Rin recovered quickly and gave chase after four others from her home room, leaving all of the other students to deal with being frozen to the ground.

"Only class 1-A is taking the lead so far." Sam remarked.

"Biased?"

"No comment." Sam answered Hizashi as soon as the next obstacle came into the camera and the students. One smashed into the side of the littlest student of 1-A, sending the boy flying. "I retract my previous comment, this relay does look promising. These are from the entrance exams, yeah?"

"They sure are! Robot Inferno!" As Hizashi continued to explain the next obstacle, Sam leaned forward To get a better look and winced, wasn't healed enough to bend that way. She leaned back into the plush rolling chair and focused on the screen.

Sam watched Rin paused to stare at the metal monstrosities and cast a spell. Transparent, blue wings formed around her shoulder blades. Not like an angel but like an old comic book hero, the falcon. Rin took to the air after a brief fumble. Sam wondered how long could Rin maintain her flight, it was a quick spell, she probably didn't have a lot of time to spend on the details of the spell.

Todoroki froze several of the severely oversized machines and skated away as Rin weaved past swinging ligaments on her glowing wings that matched her startling bright blue eyes. She soared over the machines and her classmates, taking the lead with Todoroki. Her fellow classmates were quick to find ways to follow with their quirks. USJ gave them a wake up call.

"That's Shimizu Rin from class 1-A! One of the students admitted on recommendation and the daughter of one of U.A.'s staff, Shimizu Tsubaki! Her quirk is magic creation with a simple spell she can overcome most of her obstacles with ease!" Hizashi explained to the crowd and proceed to go over each student that overcame the so called robot inferno. 1-A was the first in reacting with 1-B and general studies following close behind. They did need the wake up call that the attack gave them but they shouldn't need that this early. Sam frowned, they didn't deserve that to be thrust upon them. They needed the kick in the head but she didn't agree with the timing.

"Class 1-A's learned not to hesitate. They've seen what the real world has to offer. They've felt the fear of facing villains." Shouta remarked, responding to Hizashi's comments on the relay. Sam eyed the pro hero, he had the same view as her's of sorts. "Yet they fight on, trying to overcome the fear. They've grown. All of them. And they know that they need to act quickly to stay alive."

Sam hummed her agreement, watching Rin land with a slight stumble and continued on the path behind Todoroki. She got a view at the next obstacle. "Oh. An opportunity for the more agile students came make up ground and catch up to the others." Sam frowned when Rin summoned her wings once more to fly over the canyon, she took a running leap and the wings gave a flap and she was in the air. "You can do more than that, Rin." Sam mumbled, not quite disappointed in her niece but not impressed. She already knew that Rin would be interning under Jo but she should still make an effort for other pros that were watching to improve her future career. Kim streaked past the robots in a white/blue blur and skidded to the edge of the gorge. The blue haired girl cursed at the tightly stretched cables and eyed her sister gliding in the sky with purses lips. Kim watched as a pink haired support student use grappling hooks and jet boots to make her way with ease.

"In the world of heroes, it must be hard to get popular without a flashy quirk. Right, Eraser Head?" Hizashi asked Shouta.

"I don't know what you're talking about, idiot." Shouta retorted, Sam bit back a smirk at their banter. Sam could feel the annoyance radiating off of him and she knew that Hizashi only did it to lighten the mood.

"It's not about the quirk but what you do with it, that counts." Sam murmured with a stretching grin at Hizashi's booming laugh and the tried, withering glare of Shouta.

"How did I let you talk me into this?" Shouta asked, tiredly.

"He doesn't take no for an answer." Sam quipped, taking on more on her media persona. "Best seat in the house."

Rin's wings flickered and she dropped out of the sky into the mine field. Sam cursed as Rin made the mistake of tucking and rolling onto disturbed dirt. A mine. She flew when the mine exploded and landed hard in the dirt just out of the starting area for the mine. Sam's breath caught in her throat and Hizashi chatted on about the strength of the mines and how it forces the students to slow down. Rin shook her head to clear herself and she glared at the exit of the field. Make a choice, Sam thought. And stick with it. Do it quickly.

Rin picked herself up and started a spell, this one she took time with. To put the details that she failed to the last time and once more, glowing blue wings materialized on her shoulder blades. She started another spell around her feet and Sam bit her lip. The gap between her class and the other students were growing larger and larger. Wind caught around her feet and Rin took to the air for the third time for this relay. Wind pushed her and she flew over the course. Not quite flew, her wings at this point were only gliders. The wind did the work as she rocketed forward towards Todoroki and Bakugo.

An explosion startled Sam and she turned her gaze back to where Rin had been at the start. A large, pink explosion and Sam gasped. None of the mine should have been that powerful. Midoriya flew from the highest of the explosion on what looked to be a piece of the robot from the second obstacle. What the Hell?! Midoriya flew past a disgruntled Rin and he gradually drifted down from the apex for the explosion, right next to Todoroki and Bakugo. He planted both of his feet on each of the boys' shoulders and used them as leverage to slam his board into the ground over several mines. He used that second explosion to rocked himself out of the mine field. He stumbled but recovered quickly to run to the entrance of the arena.

Rin piled on more speed as Todoroki and Bakugo did the same. Kim and Iida wasn't far behind the four, both throwing caution to the wind to catch up to the leading four. Rin's wings flickered and she dropped to the ground, panting but running. She was side by side with Midoriya with Todoroki gaining on her. Damn, she might get first. Generic spells or not, she was winning. Rin was in the top four right now. Sam edged herself to the edge of her seat. Midoriya reaches the entrance first, Todoroki second and Rin third. Bakugo in fourth, 1-B student that Sam could not recall, Iida and Kim in sixth. Other students began to file in, panting.

Rin was fourth. That was something. Sam's phone dinged with a text. She glanced down, James. She tucked the phone away, she could answer him after the Sports Festival. He should know better after he pusheing Sam to prioritizing teaching over consulting the Ripper case. What was next for the first years?


	24. The Calvery Battle

A/N: Okay, I promise that this will be the last 'big bad thing' that happens to Sam for at least 10-15 chapters. Also, sorry for the lack of any update. I was moving and starting a new job. Then Imelda hit and screwed up my internet. Whelp.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Nathan was on his typical evening walk with Juliet walking along the riverside. The black German Shepard kept in pace with him with a wagging tail and lolling tongue. Juliet has to get out in the evenings, her pups were a handful for the older dog. She didn't have the energy that she once had much like Nathan. Retirement was just a couple months away and then, he could relax. Nathan could look back and be satisfied at a job well done. He had left his impact on the history books, his legacy was being carried on by little Samantha. Nathan wouldn't be forgotten. Now, after Sam... He had no idea who would carry that on. He doubt he would live to see the day that Sam snapped out of her oblivion to get married and have kids. She wouldn't know someone was interested in her, romantically if they bit her ass but that was Samantha. His stupid girl but his girl. The daughter he never could have.

After 45 years dedicating his life to his majesty and his country, Nathan could finally breath out a sigh of relief. Hopefully, he could live a semi peaceful life with his Mary. It would never be completely peaceful with Sam, James and Tim in his life but he didn't have to hit the grindstone and work ungodly hours. He was only required to listen to them moan about the ungodly hours. Nathan smiled, fondly and turned his gaze up to the setting sky. A couple more months, indeed.

"Come on, let's head back." Nathan murmured to Juliet, she obediently turned with her master as they started their trek back home. Nathan hummed a patriotic tune and followed Juliet, she knew the way back after ten years with Nathan. They were walking across the bridge when Nathan didn't feel quite right. Something was off but he didn't know what.

Nathan froze in his step when something else stop him, he knew that power better than most. Blood manipulation. He couldn't free himself from the affects of the quirk before pain split down his back. Nathan let out a grunt of pain and he heard Juliet let out a ferocious snarl as she lunged to protect him. Another blade lodged itself in his throat before he nor Juliet could react, he choked as his own blood spilled down from his throat. Nathan stumbled back into the guard rail, struggling to maintain consciousness.

"Sorry for the lack of conversation, Nathan. You weren't someone I can take lightly and I needed to make a statement for our dear Militia. Not my typical MO but beggars can't be choosers, hm? Don't worry about her, Dame Pond will be joining you soon." Panic and fear seeped into Nathan's soul. Not only for himself but for Sam... and for his sweet, Mary. The only women that could ever stick by his side over these many years of servitude under the crown. Now, he'll never get the breath that breath of freedom and satisfaction.

"Goodbye, Thanatos." Nathan scowled at his hero name and tried to grip Jack's forearm and squeezed but he couldn't grip him tight enough, his muscles wouldn't obey... Jack the Ripper slipped an envelope in the the bloody suit's inner pocket with a maniacal grin and pushed Nathan over the bridge's railing and off the bridge to fall into the Thames. "Ta-ta!" He called, watching the dying Nathan make a splash in the murky waters. Jack turned to the frozen snarling Shepard with a wide, wicked smirk.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Rin turned to the commentator's booth with confetti flittering down around the blonde and flashed a wide grin up at Sam and Sam smiled back at her niece. Rin preformed well, Sam wondered if Jo and Ben were watching from America. Jo was probably just as frustrated as Sam was when Rin just spammed the wing spell to get through the relay. Sam's gaze flickered to Midnight up on her stage with a projector behind her as she listed through the scores. Her phone dinged and she hit the side button, ignoring whoever texted her. It was probably James but he's been stressing her about taking time for herself so, she was taking time. At school, technically working but semantics.

Nemuri was announcing the leaderboard and who was eliminated for the favor of the next round. Sam sighed and drummed her fingers against the desk. She had so much work left to do... papers to grade, a whole stack waiting for her on her desk. Damn, she was going to be in for a long night. Her phone on the commentator's desk rang with a phone call, Sam ignored it.

Sam watched the students gather into groups, sharing their skills. She was also acutely aware of Shouta drifting into a light sleep while the teams form. Her lips quirked as Midoriya was avoided by most of the participants. He had the largest target on his back for sure. He approached Rin with Uraraka and it looked like Rin accepted. Her gaze flickered over to Kim as she reluctantly joined Bakugo's team with Kirishima and Sero. This was interesting... Sam pursed her lips, the classes were mostly sticking with their own. Smart for the most part. It could better to stick with what you know. Sam only hoped that Rin took her advice to take her time and don't over think her moves.

The timer buzzed and the teams were formed. Sam nudged Shouta awake. "Well, this is unexpected." He mused, Sam had to agree. The students got into position and waited for Nemuri to signal the start of the battle. The horn blared and everyone moved for Midoriya's team. Immediately, Rin's group fled as the majority of the groups targeted their points. Sam watched with aspiration as the same holographic blue wings spread on Midoriya's back and they took to the air. Oh, she was looking forward to watching Jo scold Rin after this.

Bakugo launched himself after the four with large explosions in his wake. His hand outstretched for Midoriya's headband. Tokoyami's Dark Shadow and Rin's Shadowman intercepted him. Sero's tape pulled Bakugo safely back to his group before Rin's Shadowman could follow through a swipe for his headband. Sam watched as Midoriya's group landed, hard with concern. Rin stumbled as she recalled Shadowman back to her.

Rin had explained what Shadowman was. Frankly, it was disturbing. Essentially, Shadowman was a part of Rin's soul that she managed to split from herself. This was temporary, however missing apart of her soul changes Rin. Depression wasn't an accurate word for it. Rin said that she felt hollow and emptied while using Shadowman. That she was less than human. That particular spell took a bigger toll on Rin than some of the others.

Mineta and Asui tried to snatch Midoriya's headband as soon as his team landed. Rin quickly summoned a luminous green shield to deflect a frog-like tongue and oddly sticky balls. Immediately, the shield caved and shattered but it did it's job of protecting Midoriya's headband. That was the flaw of Rin's quirk if she didn't take time to draw up the spell, the spell would ultimately break. Once more, Sam's phone rang on the desk. Sam frowned but refused to answer.

Sam's gaze caught the score board and frowned, what? Her gaze flew back down watching Class 1-B over took 1-A on the leader board, except Midoriya's team. Sam's burgundy eyes dart across the field, watching Class 1-B slip past Class 1-A's groups' defenses as they weren't watching their counterparts too closely. "Sneaky." Sam rumbled, reluctantly. She couldn't figure out why they didn't apply those brains in her class. She watched as Todoroki squared off against Midoriya, Rin was forming another spell to counter whatever she was expecting. Momo pulled out a insulated blanket to cover her teammates and Kaminari shocked the other approaching teams while Midoriya's team shot up above the attack range on a square of compressed earth.

Right after the shock, Todoroki took the opportunity to freeze the recovering teams in place. "He's adapting his strategy from the preliminary round." Shouta mused. Sam's phone ran again and she hit the silence button.

"Knowing is half the battle." Sam giggled with a small grin. The blue wings on Midoriya's back glided the four down back to the arena's floor. However, Todoroki followed. Rin was already acting on another spell as Dark Shadow attacked the Todoroki's group. Momo fended off the shadow being with what Sam thought was an unpainted stop sign.

"!"

Sam's burgundy gaze flew wide as Todoroki fizzed out of existence to reappear a the opposite side of the arena but not even a minute later, Iida raced back across the field and Todoroki snatched the headband off. The damned phone started to ring once more and Sam picked it up to see who on earth was calling her and she paused. Mary Dark. Not James like she thought. "Hey, Hizashi. I'll be back in a sec."

"The Calvary Battle is almost over!"

"I know." She walked out of the box and answered. "Yes, Mary?"

"Are you alone?"


	25. A Bad Day

"Hi. Are you by yourself, Samantha?" Just by Mary's voice, Sam knew that something was wrong. Terribly wrong. Her heart started to speed up with fear at the sheer rawness of Mary's typically warm, motherly voice.

"No, give me a minute." Sam whispered over the receiver. She turned to Hizashi as she stood up from her swivel chair, grabbing her purse. "Give me a mo', I need to take this."

"The Calvary Battle is going to end soon." He whispered, covering his mic.

"I know, I'll be back." And with that Sam exited the commentator's booth and a few more moments, she was on a patio. "Yeah, what is it? Is everything alright?" Sam asked, fear slowly wrapping its' cold vice like grip on her heart.

"I-I wanted to tell you before the tabloids..." Mary trailed off. "I know you're at school, I know... but you need to know. Nathan was found..."

Sam froze. It couldn't be. She shook her head, ice water washing over her. "Is he alright?" She asked, her voice trembled.

"Honey, they found him dead."

Dead. What an odd word. Sam's heard of that word, all of her life. As a child in a place she didn't belong, as a rebellious teenager with the monarchy and as a adult pro heroine. Dead. Death. Died. Passed. Moved On. He's in a better place. How odd of an word to hear, now. To relate the word to the closet thing she's ever had to a father. Sam couldn't quite fantom that. What could she say to that? What on earth could she say back to Mary? "Okay." Sam finally spoke. It was a detached voice, void of most emotions. "How?"

"Tim says murder. No suspects yet." Mary murmured. It sounded recited like she she practiced what she said before

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah- no- I'm not. I will be, I think... When is it?" Sam asked.

"The wake is on Saturday and the funeral is Sunday."

"Okay, I have to go. School." Sam hung up before Mary could say anything even goodbye. She stood there on the patio alone for a couple minutes, not really thinking. Lost in her own mind. Why? Was a question that kept popping up, yet every time it did. She couldn't answer. She didn't have the answer. She needed a answer.

"Samantha?"

Sam spun around around to face the small, lean figure of Greg Blackthorn. A friend of sorts from New Scotland Yard. Sam shoved whatever emotions that she was struggling with into a corner of her mind. "Yeah?" She asked. Sam frowned at the suit clad man, what was he -a member of New Scotland Yard- doing at the sports festival? Did James or Tim put him up to this?

"Are you alright?"

"You know already." Sam mused, nausea swept through her at the thought of him. She leaned against the railing, breathing heavily. Sam tried to focus on the cumbersome boot but the nausea persisted and grew. She closed her eyes. In. Out. In. Sam opened her eyes, not allowing herself to focus on anything in particular. Once that Sam was satisfied that the nausea receded enough, she turned back to face the man.

"Yeah." He agreed. "I found out a couple hours ago. The news has ran, only a matter of time before it booms over here."

"What's New Scotland Yard doing at the U.A. Sports Festival?" Sam asked, abruptly.

"Seeing what's the big deal on this side of the pond. Scouting for recruits, you know." Greg explained, neutrally.

"Forensics is a new class at U.A." Sam remarked, drily. "Just started this year."

"Is it? How funny." Greg mused, curiously. "Let's get a drink."

"This is a school event." Sam huffed, pushing off the railing. She wholeheartedly agreed with needing a drink, right now but the school didn't even sell wine nor beer at any of the food stalls. Honestly, they were missing a huge fundraising opportunity.

"That's quite alright, I've taken the liberty of bringing my own." Greg shrugged and produced a bottle of scotch out of nowhere.

"Ah, I forgot about that." Sam murmured, remembering Greg's ability to store small items into another dimension of sorts that he could access at will. "Let me get some glasses." Sam slipped out, grabbing two cups from a nearby stand and retreating back to the patio. If she recalled correctly, this was a grace period for the festival. Lunch and break for the students and visitors alike. Sam and Greg had time to reflect. "Here." Sam passed a cup without ice over to Greg.

Greg quickly dealt the booze and lifted his plastic cup in toast. "To Nathan."

Sam could only lift hers and nod. She couldn't really speak his name like Greg could. The pair quickly drained their first round and Greg poured more without any words. "What separates the good from the bad?" Sam asked, softly. "Civilian to villain? A small step or a long fall?" Sam didn't really know why she wanted to know. Maybe for a reason - an explanation- for the faceless murderer of a good man. So, that maybe she could understand something, anything from this.

Greg drank for a moment, savoring the amber liquor. "A bad day, I suppose."

"A bad day." Sam scoffed, abruptly. Anger blooming in her chest with the quick aid of the scotch. "My entire life has been a bad day. A bad day doesn't mean shit. A bad day doesn't excuse any wrong deed you commit."

"In the moment, a bad day is the lowest you've ever been at that singular moment. Nowhere to go, why not sink lower?" Greg continued, rationally and calmly. The sandy haired man didn't look too surprised at Sam's flash of anger. "At the moment, it was their only option. Looking back at the havoc they've caused, they do regret and remorse over what they've done. In the end, a bad day splits everything. A villain to a vigilante to a civilian to a hero. The only thing that really makes any of them stand out is a choice."

"Do you think they do? Or will? Remorse?" Sam asked, finishing the rest of the contents in her cup. The anger loosened it's grip on Sam and a melancholy sorrow slowly filed that void. The liquor was starting to burn, lazily in her navel. "They should."

"I hope so." Greg murmured, pouring another round and banished the bottle out of sight. His phone started to ring and Sam threw back the drink and offered the cup to him. He pour one more and pulled out his phone. "I have to take this, Sam. It's about a case."

"Alright, Greg. Come around the apartment, later. Don't be a stranger." Sam said. She exited the patio and wandered to a table near the food stall. She wasn't bothered by the visitors, so she stayed. If she went to the teacher's area, Sam would've had to follow society's standards and hold a conversation. Sam sat by herself for several minutes, receding back into her previous, mindless state.

"Did you hear?" One voice caught Sam's attention. "Thanatos found on the banks of the Thames."

A sharp shiver ran down Sam's spine, her burgundy eyes watered.

"Stabbed, I heard." Another whispered.

"It's terrible." A heroine whimpered.

"I wonder if it's a copy cat of the hero killer?"

"It could be."

A cold numbness spread through Samantha, overtaking the liquor's burn. Sam's eyes widened at the next comment. "I read here that they found a note with the hero." Sam shot to her feet, wobbling, unsteadily on her boot. Her chair clattered to the floor and the whispers ceased as they looked at her. Sam hobbled as fast as she could. She didn't know where yet.

Samantha burst into the lone bathroom and locked the door with a master key. Sam sank wordlessly to the floor as she lost herself.

Sam's shoulders shook violently as sobs erupted through her throat. Trembling, she scooted to the tiled wall. Tears streaked down Sam's face and hiccups rattled through her. She knew who. She understood why. That didn't make it better, it only made it worse. It should've helped, why didn't it? "Why?!" She cried. She'd never see his smirk or hear him chuckle when she and James bicker. Or see the pride and happiness-. Sam screamed, wordlessly and quietly. Another violent hiccup cut off her outburst. She trembled wordlessly, glaring at the tiled walls. Tears running freely and openly over her reddening face. He was stolen from her. A thief robbed him from her world. The world lost Nathan Dark, all because of her. All because of Jack the Ripper.

"Who's in there?"


	26. A Honed Blade

"Who's in there?"

Sam jolted, staring at the door. "I'll be out in a couple minutes." She croaked. A hand wrapped around the countertop, pulling herself up to her feet. She snatched a handful of rough, brown paper towels. Wetting them and scrubbing her tear stained face then drying as best she could. Trying to get rid of her ruined make up. "Just give me, a moment."

She just needed a moment.

Sam forced the emotions back behind her dam. It was far easier to let it out than put it back. She frowned, she can grieve later. She must. She pulled her purse and pulled out her travel make up bag out. She set back to applying a new foundation with lip gloss and mascara. She looked into the mirror at her blood shot red eyes that looked so, out of place against the pale make up. That'll have to do. Sam could fake the rest. She was good at that.

Samantha frowned, she could deal with all of this later. Deal with her grief. She had too. She couldn't afford to take more time off. This was only her first year of teaching. Sam replaced the items in her purse and stared back at her reflection. Sluggish and drained of all motivation was what she felt. How she looked, even with make up. It would have to do.

Sam grabbed her purse and quickly exited the bathroom, ducking under the security guard at the door. "Sorry." She mumbled, heading to get some sort of food before the next round for the first years started.

An anger blossomed in her chest, he did this to get her attention. He had kill him for her. Righteous anger simmered and overtook the mournful sorrow of her heart. Samantha's burgundy eyes sharpened and focused into a glower. He had her undivided attention now.

Samantha grabbed something easy and quick to eat while she ate she force more emotions down. She settled into what James' called Media Militia and with that she headed back to the commentator's booth. "Took you long enough, Sammy!"

"Sorry, Mic." Sam murmured, taking her seat. "Just something came up."

Hizashi frowned at her eyes and covered his microphone. "Everything good, Sam?" He asked. Aizawa peered over at Sam through his bandages.

No, everything wasn't.

"Yeah, everything is great! Just ate some spicy ramen. Sucker for heat." Sam lied with a smile. How easy was it? Being around James, she learned and tweaked her lying skills. He always could tell when Sam lied but he did indulge her and shared all of her tells to her. "Has the festival restarted?" She asked, knowing the answer. She looked down to the wide field. Students running about on the green grass and Sam could see Cementoss working to build the last stage of the first year's part of the festival. Sam's smile dropped as she watched Midnight speak to the students.

Sam didn't pay much attention to the brackets or the battles. She made comments about the fights but didn't put that much attention into them. They blurred together and she really couldn't tell you who won or what happened. Sam's mind was elsewhere. She was planning. Jack killed him to get her attention and now that he had it. Samantha wasn't letting him go, so easily. Not without paying him back in kind.

Sam forgot about her promise to Tensei and after the first year's champion was announced, she tried to slip away. If she wanted to do what she needed to do on Sunday, she needed to get the hell out of her cast. Only one way to do that in London, a contact that James had. One that she's meet before, an underground doctor for the darker side of London's underbelly. "Sammy!" Hizashi called out before she could flee.

"Yeah?"

"We're going out with the other teachers and some of the heroes that are on security for drinks."

"No, I have a lot of papers to grade." Sam shook her head. "Maybe tomorrow or some other time? Bye!" She took her leave from the commentator's booth. Hizashi looked over at Shouta and back to where Sam had been.

But Hizashi wasn't deterred so easily. He followed her out into the corridor. "Samantha." Sam turned around at his tone and her full name. "Are you sure that you are okay?"

"I'm fine, I think it's the medicine making me and bit drowsy. I want to get as much done as I can before I crash." Sam explained with the same smile. "Plus, alcohol and medicine don't really mix."

Hizashi relented, skepticism lingering in his acidic green eyes. "Alright, Sam. Call us if you need anything, O-Kay?"

"Yeah. I'll see you tomorrow, 'kay?"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Before I release you to prepare for the upcoming festival. I have a small lesson." Aizawa Sensei stood at the front of the class, still wrapped in bandages from the USJ. Shimizu Rin peered up and read the green chalkboard that read in white chalk. Rin's bright blue eyes widened. "What can you tell me about these?"

Worldbreaker Quirks

Midoriya's hand shot up and he answered Aizawa Sensei. "Worldbreaker quirks are quirks that have the potential too. Well, um... It's in the title, sir. Break worlds. To break nations and cities with their quirks."

"Yeah, that about sums Worldbreaker quirks." Aizawa murmured. "Now, who can guess which of U.A.'s staff has a Worldbreaker quirk?"

Rin's hand raised, she knew that answer for a long time. "My au- Pond Sensei." Her classmates murmured in disgruntled surprise around her. She ducked her head down with a faint blush, embarrassed for her aunt.

"Why?" Aizawa challenged Rin.

"Her quirk is weapon creation." Rin started off, softly. "If Pond Sensei wanted too and if she knew the schematics. She could create a nuclear arsenal if given enough time." Rin remembered overhearing the many arguments that Jo had with Aunt Sam. Jo didn't want Aunt Sam to attend college for science due to that fact, especially after the Fall of London. Jo didn't want Aunt Sam to put herself on anyone's radar. Ben was all for it, only if she moved to America. She didn't. He didn't trust the newly appointed queen, none of them did. Jo and Ben did not want Sam to paint a larger target on her back. However, Sam didn't heed any of their warnings and attended college in England.

"Yes, if Pond Sensei were a villain, she would not be someone to be trifled with."

Uneasy muttering echoed in the classroom and slowly, the class started to raise their hands to start asking their questions.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Samantha made her calls to arranged her weekend plans, ignoring any and all calls from James nor Tim. She didn't want to add frustration on top of everything that she currently felt. Sam knew that James wouldn't give her what she wanted. What she needed to know about Nathan. That, she couldn't face. Not just yet.

She graded the remaining papers she had left from that morning and ate some instant ramen in silence while the BBC news played in the background. Sam feed her pets and walked Sasha before returning to unpack a couple of remaining kitchen boxes. Sam was methodical yet unfocused in her work, not really thinking. Just doing.

Sam stacked the plates and bowls on the countertop, throwing away the bubble wrap and packing paper in the now emptied box. Sam repeated with a box of glasses and mugs then another with serving dishes. She worked because what else was there for her to do? She didn't want to cry but at the same time, she knew that needed to cry. Sam hated to cry even alone with herself.

Work and plan. That was going to be her life line for the next week until Saturday and Sunday. She was hopeless and numb, alone in her kitchen. Sam needed to work and to push forward. Sam couldn't slack behind and she couldn't show weakness in front of these new colleagues.

Sam tensed, staring blandly at the plate littered countertop. Unfocused.

"Nathan Dark was murdered, today. The funeral will be held on Sunday." Sally Sparrow chimed, mournfully and at the same, somewhat cheery. "We have confirmed the attendance of Dame Samantha Pond, who was a sidekick who debuted under him as well as the Queen and her family will attend to give their respects to the late hero."

Anger spiked.

Sam threw her arms and glass shattered against tiled floors. Another swing the bowls smashed and scattered into thousands of razor sharp shards. One last swipe took out the clear glasses and painted mugs. Slowly she sank to the ground, pressing her back to a corner cabinet. "Nathan Dark was..." Sally Sparrow's next words were drained out by a distressed and barking Sasha.

Sam stayed there for a while. Sam didn't cry, she didn't have tears to spill. Sam sat in silence, listening to the TV list off details of the funeral proceedings. A knock at the door startled her trance. Greg Blackthorn. "Now, isn't a good time." Sam called from her place on the floor over Sasha's distressed whining.

"Sam." Sam refused to pick herself from the ground to answer the door. She lacked the motivation to do so. "I'm going to call Tim."

Tim. A thinly veiled threat. Burgundy eyes flashed in the direction of the door. Sam sighed and stood up. Shards of glass crunches under her shoes as she made her way to the front door. Sam opened the door to greet Greg-. "Motherfuckers." Sam growled at the sight of three men on her doorstep.

"You don't answer your phone." James pointed out on the other side of the threshold. "Let us in." He ordered.

"No." Sam snapped, annoyance prickling her neck. She might still be in a cast and bruised to Hell but she could still whoop all three of their arses.

"Sam."

"Are you going to answer my questions?" Sam demanded, softly with a dark glare in her eyes.

"Not all." James frowned, his eyes flashed grey. "Are you going to do something stupid?"

"Does it look like I can do anything?" Sam whispered, her shoulders sagged. "What am I going to do? What could I even do? Get myself killed?"

James relented. "Okay."

Sam pulled the door open wider to usher the three men inside. A small smile graced her face as she closed the door. For the first time ever, she lied to James. It was true, she couldn't do anything to Jack the Ripper. Not yet.


	27. Heart to Heart

A/N: Remember, Remember the fifth of November! Yeah, I know that it is really late from the fifth. Sorry!

Hey! What do you think of Sam's reaction, honestly? And what are your predictions of what Sam is going to do?

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The next morning, Sam sat in her empty class at her desk with a book in her hands. James, Tim, Greg and herself cleaned the broken plates from her kitchen floor. After, Tim fixed a pot of tea and coffee. The four sat at the dining table, filling in Sam on most aspects of the case. They brought his file but didn't open it and Sam didn't ask. She didn't want to see him like that. They didn't include the letter that Jack left for Sam, no matter how much she pressed for it. Sam had a pretty good idea of what it entailed but she wanted to read it herself. Codes or banter that might tip Sam off on his endgame. They refused Sam and Sam flashed out her anger on the three.

This morning, she enjoyed the little of bit of time she had to collect herself before her first class.

"Medieval torture devices?" A deep voice asked.

Sam blinked in surprise, her burgundy gaze jolted up to meet Shouta's tired eyes. She shrugged, flipping the book over so that Shouta could view the page she was on. Pear of anguish. "I always found it fascinating how brutal and clever we were back then. Humanity as a whole. Really, you should see what they've came up with for the most petty of reasons... I'm a history buff, had to be or my quirk wouldn't be as versatile."

Sam's computer pinged and her eyes slid over to her personal email opened on the screen. Her breath caught, the Queen. Eliza. The header read, 'Jack the Ripper's letter left with Nathan Dark.' Sam smiled, glad to be on the same page with her majesty for once in a very long time. "What's up?" She asked her colleague.

"What are your weekend plans?"

Sam's dark red eyes narrowed at Shouta, they knew. "I have to attend a funeral... Look, I already told James that I'm not going to do anything rash or stupid." Sam muttered, closing out of her email and bookmarking her book.

"We lose people and it's alright to grieve-." Shouta murmured, awkwardly. "We don't have a say and it's something out of-."

"Don't." Sam hissed out, the familiar words striking her heart like a barrage of bullets. Different words, same meaning. A familiar face with sea foam eyes seared to the forefront of Sam's mind. "Not a person alive has the right to say those words to me. I should know that more than anything -anyone-, believe me." Sam shoved her face in her hands to battle the rising nausea accompanied with volatile emotions. She took a moment. "I'm sorry, the last person who told me that isn't alive, anymore."

"Nathan?"

"Asami." Sam mumbled back, lifting her face from her hands to meet his dark eyes. "I'm not a stranger to loss."

"Neither am I."

"I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too."

"I don't think the students listen to us when we say that they aren't prepared for this profession. They don't fully understand the stakes, not until they see it themselves..." Sam smiled, gently. Sam notice the lack of bandages but a deep scar right under his eye concerned her. "Where's your class?"

"I pitied them."

Sam snorted, amused. "That doesn't sound like the Aizawa Sensei that Hizashi told me about." She remarked with a light teasing tone, trying to sound up beat. Normal-ish. He only answered her with a smoldering look and Sam giggled into her hand.

He opened his mouth to give her, a snarky response when the door to her class burst open. Both heroes' wary eyes flickered to the open door way. Rin panted at the door like she ran all the way there but grinned at Sam.

"Jo accepted me as a intern!"

"That was a given."

"No, there was Jean too! He's going to be interning with Ben." Rin grinned brightly like the ray of sunshine she could be.

"How'd that conversation go?"

Rin stopped and ducked her head as Sam's sharp retort struck it's mark. Shouta shook his head in aspiration. Sam could spot the bright red dance across her face. She smirked, Jo did give her an earful. "She's going to work my ass off in America." Rin bit out.

"As she should."

"You're my aunt!"

"And if I wasn't a teacher and you had chosen to intern with me in London, I would do the same." Sam rumbled with a sadistic sort of glint shone in her gleaming burgundy eyes. "Asami did that to me when I started my career."

"Asami was your senior by two years as a hero, I mean."

"I wasn't familiar with proper protocols. I was raised by N- the Queen's Guard. Secret Service, whatever you'd like to call it. Not public servants." Sam had caught herself from saying his name, she couldn't. Not yet. Her ruby eyes flickered back over to her awaiting laptop. "She and James help my service training there."

"You did alright participating in the Sports Festival but your quirk is very versatile. The Sports Festival is meant to showcase what you can do for recruitment." Shouta pointed out. "Not just for recruitment but for the world to see."

"Frankly, spamming the spells that you did was moronic and arrogant." Sam paused, watching Rin jolt as if her sharp words had just slapped her. She waited, watching the words sink in her niece. Sam vaguely recalled the last round where Rin was using simple spells. Defensive and minor attack spells. Shadowman was the largest spell she used in the Sports Fest. "You were as out there as Bakugo was but you were just as cock sure in your overall victory. You already had a guaranteed heroine and a hero that would offer to take you under their guidance. You had nothing to prove to anyone at the Festival. How'd that look to 1-B or General Studies?"

Rin blushed and muttered, "Yeah, I see you point. It was simple to use, not much prep."

Sam nodded, satisfied. "Good, you are learning and you will improve in time. Mistakes are natural part of growing up." Sam's tone softened as she spoke. "We all make mistakes but what differs everyone is those who learn from those mistakes. So, learn and soak up everything that Jo and Ben teach you."

"Now, how are you traveling there?" Shouta asked, not all of his students were traveling as far as Rin for their internship. Most internships develop into work studies if that were Rin's case, that could be problematic.

"Spell." Rin answered. "I have been developing a spell so I can anchor a portal there with Jo and here. Travel like that. I'm still working out the kinks but it's almost done. I've been talking to Tim and my friend who can teleport about it's logistics for the spell. It's similar to a couple other spells I've created." Rin snapped her fingers in emphasis.

"Can you bring passengers?"

"Of course." Rin grinned at Sam. She glanced at a clock on the wall and frowned. "I have to go, I wanna tell mom before class."

Sam's eyes grew solemn at the thought of Tsubaki and Rin's strained, brittle relationship. "Yeah, off with you."

Rin waved at the pair of teachers and bounced out of her classroom. Sam watched her go with a grim smile. "Y'know, I fear the day when Rin looks back on her childhood and reflects on all that she missed. Not that Ben and Jo didn't do everything she needed but it wasn't their responsibility. Tsubaki should've know better than that, she was the adult. Not Rin. Jo and Ben raised her and healed her when Tsubaki should've. And now, here Rin is. She is the one pushing and trying to strengthen the relationship with her mother when it should be the other way around." Sam muttered, softly. "Tsubaki is going to regret not wanting to keep Rin close with her. Not now but one day, she will."

Shouta peered down at Sam. The righteous anger simmering behind dark burgundy eyes that seemed to brighten to a more prominent scarlet shade. Shouta took note of the squared up shoulders brimming with tension. "I'm not disagreeing with you but would you act differently? In her shoes as a single mother working as a full-time, professional heroine."

"I am. I promised Asami that I would and I am. Some people just shouldn't have children." Sam muttered, crossly. Not really caring about the words leaving her mouth. "I'd do anything for those girls." Sam swore. Sam paused and heaved a big sigh, halting her tangent.

"And I do understand the-... unfairness against Tsubaki. I do, really but you haven't been with their family for as long as I. You haven't seen it all, neither have I." Sam relented, tensely. She had to surrender some ground at the look on Shouta's face. He did know Tsubaki better than she did at the moment and Sam acknowledged that. "Asami did, though. She asked me to watch over them both."

"Have you tried to talk to her?" Shouta said, awkwardly. Sam leveled a look at the dark haired man, he clearly didn't understand women, completely.

The bell rang and Shouta frowned at Sam. "See you at the Sports Festival." Sam chirped. Shouta gave her, a sharp nod and left with a soft bye. At least, he had tried. Sam thought with a slight curving smile. That was half the battle.

Sam turned back to the screen as 1-A filed in and she opened her emails to view Eliza's. They already knew what to do since it was the same as yesterday. Sam didn't even question Iidya Tenya's absence. Something grabbed at her attention in the back of her mind that there was something major that she was missing. Sam brushed it off as anxiety and peered at her screen.

' My Militia. I hope that this caught your ever wandering attention. Have you healed well since your little incident? I grow tired of your lack of effort. All the work I've put into this relationship, this is how you repay this game of ours? Oh well, I know I have your attention now. I know I do. Do you care to finish this? I do grow tired of you. Not that this game of ours hasn't been... interesting but I do intend to grow and explore bigger oceans if you understand my meaning. Grow the legacy of Jack the Ripper past London and even, Europe. That means little Militia's end in our dearest game. What says you, my darling? Care to end this fantastic epic with one last duet? A requiem of our time together, so that you can be immortalized amongst your peers after all you are owed that much. Nathan Dark sought that too, correct?

I look forward to your response.

-Forever and always your quarry, Jack'

Sam bit back the growl lodged in her throat. She glowered at the screen, struggling with the rising anger. She tapped out a response to the Queen with trembling hands and shut of her computer. Jack... Jack wanted her attention, he was bored. Sam bit back the rage threatening to spill over the dam. He wanted a response, Sam could do that.

Sam looked up after a calming breath. "You are dismissed, enjoy the Sports Festival while it's here." The students cheered and crowded around the exit to flee her classroom. She pinched the bridge of her nose and took in a deep breath. Sam stared at her shaky hands.

"I need a coffee."

Sam was dutiful with her responsibilities as a teacher with the remainder of the Sports Festival. Hizashi didn't seek her out for the booth, not because Sam put her evasion tactics to use. Sam completed her tasks without much thought and driving home was the same.

Sam has to park in a parking garage, giving her a ten minute walk to her townhouse. She normally used that time to clear her mind but that seemed impossible for her. Her mind was too full and stuffy to sort anything out. She needed to deal with everything, this weekend and then, she'd be free. Sam pursed her lips at the thought.

A full head didn't stop her from being alert.

A blast of what looked to lava landed on the pavement beside her. Sam took a second to marvel at the sizzling pavement and the glowing, molten rock before reacting. Sam frowned as a man skated on a stream of lava towards her. Three more men followed behind the lava boy. Sam sighed, a tri bladed dagger formed in her hand and as he passed her, she stabbed. Didn't hit anything major, the blade pierced through his arm. The blade itself was lethal. He howled in pain and his buddy lunged at Sam.

Sam jolted back as best she could with her casted leg, raising her blade up with on hand and a pistol forming in the other. However, a tan bandage wrapped around the man and yanked him back. "Fancy seeing you here, Eraser." Sam teased, squeezing the trigger. A bullet finding a home burrowed into a tiger headed man's leg. He crumbled under the pain and torn tissue.

"You have a hero's license?" Shouta asked, skeptically. He dodged on slash of sharp, elongated nails. Sam fired off another well aimed shot to drive the man towards Shouta who wrapped a bandages around his middle and aimed a kick to his side.

"I do."

"For this country?"

"Temporary one to last until my papers go through." Sam answered, sweetly with blood dripping from her blade in her hand. "I'm legal."

Shouta huffed out a sigh, easily capturing the last one. Sam sighed and leaned up against a nearby wall to give her report. She banished the blade and pistol alike. She chose to fiddle with the action of a colt revolver as she waited for her report to be taken. "Get some rest, Sam." Shouta finally muttered after everything was said and done. The fight itself lasted a minute maybe three. The report? An hour. Sasha would not be too happy. Sam wasn't too happy but that was the beauty of the job. Paperwork.

"Don't have to tell me twice, Shouta. See you tomorrow. Don't stay out too late!" Sam murmured with a faux smile and left to stay in her lonely townhouse with only her pets and her mind for company.


	28. The Funeral of Nathan Dark

James stared where Sam vanished in the nondescript black car. "Shit." He turned to face his fiancée, surprise danced across Tim's face as well. "Shit. Shit, shit, shit!" How didn't he see this? How did she-? Sam. Sam was going after Jack. Who the hell gave her that information? "God dammit!"

"Detective! Detective!"

James didn't want to deal with the reporters, now. Plus the Queen looked all too willing to answer any questions. Grey eyes flashed over to Eliza, why was that? "Fuck off." He grunted, he turned back to the direction of the funeral. He needed to retrace Sam's steps. He needed to find her.

"I am certain that Commissioner Anderson will authorize this head hunt led by our dear, Militia."

James swung back around to face the Queen, his mouth dropped open in surprise. Pieces clicked together. Shock settled across his pale face. William. Fall of London. Fred met James' surprise eyes with his own wide eyes. Sam told him what happened and he has read the reports. James never had an issue with the young Queen in the past. Now, he was pissed. "You planned this." He whispered, flabbergasted. "You took advantage of Sam." James said, his voice rising a noticeable fraction.

The Queen's cool blue eyes met his grey gaze and back to the reporter, "Please, excuse me for a moment." She said and slid over to James and Tim. Her bodyguards were a clever blockade against the reporters. "Now, what were you saying? I would be careful with your wording, detective. I wouldn't want you to say such treasonous things to your Queen."

"Eliza, please." Fred spoke, stepping up alongside James and Tim. "Please tell me you didn't."

"What exactly did I do?" She asked, innocently.

James felt a bubbling rage grow and he quickly squashed the anger. As furious as he was, he wasn't an idiot but he did feel somewhat emboldened with the prince backing him rather than his own sister. "You gave Sam, the letter. You knew that she would go after Jack for retribution. Now, you all but sanctioned her man hunt for the Ripper with injuries that are still healing." Stormy grey eyes glared at the regal figure, James couldn't stop the words from spilling from his mouth. No one could. "You signed Sam's death warrant." James spat out.

His best friend could die at the hands of one of the most infamous serial killers known to date because of a petty grudge that wasn't even Sam's fault. No one was at fault. He didn't need his quirk to know that he was right. James could see it written across Eliza's still neutral face. The only break in her facade was a small, victorious twitch on her mouth.

James spun around and marched away, heading to Shimizu Asami's grave marker. Fred stepped in front to run interference and damage control while Tim, Greg and Lily followed behind him. His stomach sank as the distance grew between him and the Queen. Jo was right, he couldn't believe it but Jo was right all along. James always believed that the older heroine was simply, a normal paranoid American. Sam should've left the country, a long time ago. Hell, he might get the hell out of dodge after this mess was over with... And Sam... He needed to find Sam before she killed herself on her righteous path of vengeance. James has to focus. James must find her and stop Sam.

James came to a stop in front of Asami and pulled out his phone. Time to start making some phone calls.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Shouta, Nemuri, and Hizashi were visiting the hospital for Tensei. Shouta was enjoying his fifth cup of coffee in the cafeteria when the news caught his eye. Sam was on TV dressed in black and forest green dress. He recognized a cemetery when he saw one. James Rogers was approaching the heroine, angry and afraid behind the U.A. teacher. Shouta frowned, what was going on?

"Sam!" James shouted but Sam didn't turn to face the detective. Sam was addressing Sally Sparrow, a reporter for the BBC.

"I received your letter and completely agree. Let's finish this game of ours. I'll be where this game of ours began. You have committed grave offenses over your years in London and are guilty of countless crimes but this was one step too far... I'll see you there, Jack." Sam growled, swinging away to be caught by James.

Shouta had a feeling of what the phone call would entail when it rang in his pocket. Slowly, he brought the device to his ear. "This is Detective James Rogers, we met after the USJ incident. I'm a friend of Sam's. Have you seen the news, recently?" Shouta recognized the cool voice of James Rogers. The man that blamed him at first for Sam's injuries at the USJ. First impressions weren't the best but Shouta managed to understand the detective more after Sam's dinner party.

Shouta's dark eyes flickered back to the TV screen where James had taken hold of Sam's wrist. "Yeah, right now. What's going on?"

"Nathan Dark was murdered by Jack the Ripper and now, Sam is going after Jack the Ripper." James said, his voice was tense and stressed over the line. "She lied -wasn't-. Sam wasn't supposed to have those details. Access to Jack's letter... She does and now, she's MIA. Can you try to reach out to her? Give me any details that you might have? We need to find Sam before she confronts Jack."

"Who leaked the information? That could lead to Sam."

"No, it won't. The person who leaked that information had a grudge against Sam, not linked to Jack the Ripper." James said, brushing Shouta's train of thought off.

"Who was it?"

The other line was silent.

"The Queen Of England was the leak."

Shouta took a minute to process what James just said. What a mess and the teachers had wondered what drove Sam to teach in Japan to start with when the spotlight of their investigation was on her. Especially, after the USJ incident. Now, they had their answer. Far more complicated than they had originally thought. "Sam didn't say anything about this." Shouta turned to see Nemuri and Hizashi staring at the TV in shock. "Sam said that you talked to her."

"She lied to me." James hissed out like a whistling radiator about to blow. "Please, ask around. Will you? We need to find Sam before she gets herself killed. The commissioner has already sanctioned her manhunt... It looks like she's dropped off the grid."

"Yeah."

Shouta slid his phone in his pocket, turning to his friends.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

James stared at the laptop's screen over Greg's shoulder. "She vanished." Greg sighed, leaning back in his chair. He glowered at the moving images of traffic. Tim sat on the desk to the left of Greg on his own phone, searching for Sam's phone or activity on her accounts. The four crowded in Tim and James' small office in their flat on the hunt for Sam. Sam's colleague didn't offer any insight in Sam's whereabouts. That left cameras to try a follow Sam's digital steps. They lost her in the city, not even two miles of driving.

"Sam's worked for the police and as a pro for so long, she knows what to avoid." James said, shaking his head. He knew that the video feeds were a long shot but, they had to try. "She can't fight Jack as is. Sam needs some other way to fight or to heal."

"No hospital or private practice is authorized for expedited healing for a nonlethal injury if they have that ability." Lily chimed in, her fingers danced across her phone's screen. "But..."

"She's Militia." James finished. A doctor might leap at the chance to aid the pro heroine, laws be damned. "Do you have a list of all hospitals with that capability?" That was a lead of some kind, James wanted to exhaust all efforts.

"Yeah."

"How many?"

"Seven." Lily answered.

"We'll each take one." James ordered. "I'll text Mike, Mickey, Rory and Melody to take one as well. Greg will stay here to cover the feeds." The four he listed were already apart of the Ripper task force, so it was technically, work related. A lie to tell his subordinates was already forming in James' mind. James closed his eyes and felt a soft hand snag his own.

"We'll get her, James." Tim murmured as he gave James' more calloused hand, a soft squeeze.

"I hope so."

"Do you think Sam would turn to the underworld?" Greg asked.

Tim, Lily and James shared a look. "No, I doubt so. Sam doesn't have a good rapport with those kind of doctors." James shook his head, Sam would never trust one of them to come close enough to touch her. "Let's go."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Tsubaki stepped out of the elevator and curved around a corner to enter the cafeteria. Rin and Kim trailed behind their mother. Rin was quiet, too quiet. She had been since the news came through. Rin spotted her most of her teachers huddled around a bleak looking table.

Tsubaki threw a cautious look back to her daughters. "Get something to eat, I'm going to talk with the other teachers."

Rin made a dismissive hum to her and wandered away from her family to look out a window overlooking a calm park sitting in the middle of the park. Her electric blue eyes slid over to Kim and back to the pleasant park nestled in the center of the large, towering hospital. Rin's wyes widened a fraction as her gaze landed on a dark haired man nsitting on a bench. She slipped down the hall leading away from the cafeteria. A couple of signs later, she exited from cool linoleum and sterile air to a warm breeze and crunchy gravel. "Hi, Aizawa Sensei."

"Hello."

Rin sat next her teacher on the bench. "Have you heard from her?"

"Radio silence."

Rin didn't want to ask her sensei if he thought that Sam would survive an encounter with the Whitechapel Murderer in her current state. She didn't know how'd she take his answer. Instead, Rin asked. "Why did she do it?"

"Sam isn't an idiot." Aizawa muttered. "Foolish and rash but not an idiot. To her, I believe, there are lines that she draws for herself with her own logic and morals. Jack the Ripper crossed one too many times. I'm absolutely not agreeing with her choice but her reaction to the Ripper's murder is somewhat understandable. Getting herself killed on a lone fool's errand, however... what would've been more logical was to rely on other heroes to capture Jack the Ripper and not solo."

Rin couldn't help the bristle of defiance for her aunt's honor. "Look at what good that's done." Rin retorted, sharply. At Aizawa's tired, leering gaze, Rin deflated. He was right. Rin frowned and nodded at his words. A face of a curly haired woman came forth into her mind, followed by a lanky, pale professor looking man. "I know someone who recited a poem about a man. He was a good man, saved so many and endured, so much. People thought they could act against them without much cost because of his goodness and his code of rules. They never questioned why he had those rules in the first place.

'Demons run when a good man goes to war

Night will fall and drown the sun

When a good man goes to war

Friendship dies and true love lies

Night will fall and the dark will rise

When a good man goes to war

Demons run, but count the cost

The battle's won, but the child is lost'."

Rin frowned, harder as she thought about the madman and his little blue box with the companions that he always left behind. Why Sam was doing it wasn't her true question. Rin's true question would be why was she leaving Rin. Taking a risk that could result Rin loosing her when Sam swore to never leave her. Wasn't that is what she's doing that now? Taking the bait and running into the jaws of a trap laid out just for her? By an infamous psychopathic murderer?

Aizawa inclined his head but didn't respond, right away. "I think there could be some truth to that."

"She's clever." Rin muttered to herself. "She has a plan, Sam's had all week to plan." A firm hand landed on Rin's shoulder, jolting her out of her panicked rambling. However, stress had already sank it's teeth deep in her mind.

"I think her main concern is keeping James away from her trail, not her confrontation with Jack the Ripper."

"She should be worried about the Ripper."

"Yeah, she should." Her sensei agreed and his gaze turned up to the darkening sky. "Your mother is probably looking for you."

Rin sighed, bitter bitting her words. "Yeah, your right." She looked up to the sky as well. Sam better make it back in one piece. "Thank you, sensei."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

James slammed the file on the table with a wordless snarl. "Damnit!" He snapped. Sam was nowhere. She wasn't in any of the hospitals that they searched. Nowhere around anywhere that she normally frequented. "Where the hell is she?!"

"Calm down."

"Don't tell me to calm down, Timothy!"

"Calm down, we'll get her."

James cursed but something on the wall caught his eye. A newspaper clipping that he had framed. Sam and him had captured a big time mob boss. They had only managed to capture him due an informant. James scowled. An underground doctor with a quirk to accelerate healing to an outstanding degree but he was a dishonored doctor who served underneath the table to villains. At a higher price of course.

Ex-doctor John Smith became an informant for James after his old hospital was raided. The doctor had brokered a deal with James. James would grant his freedom and turn a blind eye to his underground hospital and he would slip information back to James. Nothing huge unless directly asked. Small things that ensured his safety with both parties. He'd do anything if paid enough. The thing that influenced James' decision the most was that the doctor tried to give back to the community when he could. Healing the needy as cliche as it was, however that's how James and Sam uncovered the doctor in the first place. During his spontaneous acts of charity.

Sam might have had enough trust in the doctor to heal her and plenty of money to seal his lips. James growled, pulling out his phone. Ever since, the bust on the hospital. The doctor chose a more sporadic option. Popping up his hospital wherever it was needed by higher paying clients while he had a clinic ran by a partner but he was rarely stationed at the clinic. He was after all, a busy man.

"Tim, we're leaving." James told his fiancée. "We need to act fast if we want to catch Sam." James put the phone to his ears and looked out the window to the nearly set sun.


	29. Repercussions

James stared where Sam vanished in the nondescript black car. "Shit." He turned to face his fiancée, surprise danced across Tim's face as well. "Shit. Shit, shit, shit!" How didn't he see this? How did she-? Sam. Sam was going after Jack. Who the hell gave her that information? "God dammit!"

"Detective! Detective!"

James didn't want to deal with the reporters, now. Plus the Queen looked all too willing to answer any questions. Grey eyes flashed over to Eliza, why was that? "Fuck off." He grunted, he turned back to the direction of the funeral. He needed to retrace Sam's steps. He needed to find her.

"I am certain that Commissioner Anderson will authorize this head hunt led by our dear, Militia."

James swung back around to face the Queen, his mouth dropped open in surprise. Pieces clicked together. Shock settled across his pale face. William. Fall of London. Fred met James' surprise eyes with his own wide eyes. Sam told him what happened and he has read the reports. James never had an issue with the young Queen in the past. Now, he was pissed. "You planned this." He whispered, flabbergasted. "You took advantage of Sam." James said, his voice rising a noticeable fraction.

The Queen's cool blue eyes met his grey gaze and back to the reporter, "Please, excuse me for a moment." She said and slid over to James and Tim. Her bodyguards were a clever blockade against the reporters. "Now, what were you saying? I would be careful with your wording, detective. I wouldn't want you to say such treasonous things to your Queen."

"Eliza, please." Fred spoke, stepping up alongside James and Tim. "Please tell me you didn't."

"What exactly did I do?" She asked, innocently.

James felt a bubbling rage grow and he quickly squashed the anger. As furious as he was, he wasn't an idiot but he did feel somewhat emboldened with the prince backing him rather than his own sister. "You gave Sam, the letter. You knew that she would go after Jack for retribution. Now, you all but sanctioned her man hunt for the Ripper with injuries that are still healing." Stormy grey eyes glared at the regal figure, James couldn't stop the words from spilling from his mouth. No one could. "You signed Sam's death warrant." James spat out.

His best friend could die at the hands of one of the most infamous serial killers known to date because of a petty grudge that wasn't even Sam's fault. No one was at fault. He didn't need his quirk to know that he was right. James could see it written across Eliza's still neutral face. The only break in her facade was a small, victorious twitch on her mouth.

James spun around and marched away, heading to Shimizu Asami's grave marker. Fred stepped in front to run interference and damage control while Tim, Greg and Lily followed behind him. His stomach sank as the distance grew between him and the Queen. Jo was right, he couldn't believe it but Jo was right all along. James always believed that the older heroine was simply, a normal paranoid American. Sam should've left the country, a long time ago. Hell, he might get the hell out of dodge after this mess was over with... And Sam... He needed to find Sam before she killed herself on her righteous path of vengeance. James has to focus. James must find her and stop Sam.

James came to a stop in front of Asami and pulled out his phone. Time to start making some phone calls.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Shouta, Nemuri, and Hizashi were visiting the hospital for Tensei. Shouta was enjoying his fifth cup of coffee in the cafeteria when the news caught his eye. Sam was on TV dressed in black and forest green dress. He recognized a cemetery when he saw one. James Rogers was approaching the heroine, angry and afraid behind the U.A. teacher. Shouta frowned, what was going on?

"Sam!" James shouted but Sam didn't turn to face the detective. Sam was addressing Sally Sparrow, a reporter for the BBC.

"I received your letter and completely agree. Let's finish this game of ours. I'll be where this game of ours began. You have committed grave offenses over your years in London and are guilty of countless crimes but this was one step too far... I'll see you there, Jack." Sam growled, swinging away to be caught by James.

Shouta had a feeling of what the phone call would entail when it rang in his pocket. Slowly, he brought the device to his ear. "This is Detective James Rogers, we met after the USJ incident. I'm a friend of Sam's. Have you seen the news, recently?" Shouta recognized the cool voice of James Rogers. The man that blamed him at first for Sam's injuries at the USJ. First impressions weren't the best but Shouta managed to understand the detective more after Sam's dinner party.

Shouta's dark eyes flickered back to the TV screen where James had taken hold of Sam's wrist. "Yeah, right now. What's going on?"

"Nathan Dark was murdered by Jack the Ripper and now, Sam is going after Jack the Ripper." James said, his voice was tense and stressed over the line. "She lied -wasn't-. Sam wasn't supposed to have those details. Access to Jack's letter... She does and now, she's MIA. Can you try to reach out to her? Give me any details that you might have? We need to find Sam before she confronts Jack."

"Who leaked the information? That could lead to Sam."

"No, it won't. The person who leaked that information had a grudge against Sam, not linked to Jack the Ripper." James said, brushing Shouta's train of thought off.

"Who was it?"

The other line was silent.

"The Queen Of England was the leak."

Shouta took a minute to process what James just said. What a mess and the teachers had wondered what drove Sam to teach in Japan to start with when the spotlight of their investigation was on her. Especially, after the USJ incident. Now, they had their answer. Far more complicated than they had originally thought. "Sam didn't say anything about this." Shouta turned to see Nemuri and Hizashi staring at the TV in shock. "Sam said that you talked to her."

"She lied to me." James hissed out like a whistling radiator about to blow. "Please, ask around. Will you? We need to find Sam before she gets herself killed. The commissioner has already sanctioned her manhunt... It looks like she's dropped off the grid."

"Yeah."

Shouta slid his phone in his pocket, turning to his friends.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

James stared at the laptop's screen over Greg's shoulder. "She vanished." Greg sighed, leaning back in his chair. He glowered at the moving images of traffic. Tim sat on the desk to the left of Greg on his own phone, searching for Sam's phone or activity on her accounts. The four crowded in Tim and James' small office in their flat on the hunt for Sam. Sam's colleague didn't offer any insight in Sam's whereabouts. That left cameras to try a follow Sam's digital steps. They lost her in the city, not even two miles of driving.

"Sam's worked for the police and as a pro for so long, she knows what to avoid." James said, shaking his head. He knew that the video feeds were a long shot but, they had to try. "She can't fight Jack as is. Sam needs some other way to fight or to heal."

"No hospital or private practice is authorized for expedited healing for a nonlethal injury if they have that ability." Lily chimed in, her fingers danced across her phone's screen. "But..."

"She's Militia." James finished. A doctor might leap at the chance to aid the pro heroine, laws be damned. "Do you have a list of all hospitals with that capability?" That was a lead of some kind, James wanted to exhaust all efforts.

"Yeah."

"How many?"

"Seven." Lily answered.

"We'll each take one." James ordered. "I'll text Mike, Mickey, Rory and Melody to take one as well. Greg will stay here to cover the feeds." The four he listed were already apart of the Ripper task force, so it was technically, work related. A lie to tell his subordinates was already forming in James' mind. James closed his eyes and felt a soft hand snag his own.

"We'll get her, James." Tim murmured as he gave James' more calloused hand, a soft squeeze.

"I hope so."

"Do you think Sam would turn to the underworld?" Greg asked.

Tim, Lily and James shared a look. "No, I doubt so. Sam doesn't have a good rapport with those kind of doctors." James shook his head, Sam would never trust one of them to come close enough to touch her. "Let's go."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Tsubaki stepped out of the elevator and curved around a corner to enter the cafeteria. Rin and Kim trailed behind their mother. Rin was quiet, too quiet. She had been since the news came through. Rin spotted her most of her teachers huddled around a bleak looking table.

Tsubaki threw a cautious look back to her daughters. "Get something to eat, I'm going to talk with the other teachers."

Rin made a dismissive hum to her and wandered away from her family to look out a window overlooking a calm park sitting in the middle of the park. Her electric blue eyes slid over to Kim and back to the pleasant park nestled in the center of the large, towering hospital. Rin's wyes widened a fraction as her gaze landed on a dark haired man nsitting on a bench. She slipped down the hall leading away from the cafeteria. A couple of signs later, she exited from cool linoleum and sterile air to a warm breeze and crunchy gravel. "Hi, Aizawa Sensei."

"Hello."

Rin sat next her teacher on the bench. "Have you heard from her?"

"Radio silence."

Rin didn't want to ask her sensei if he thought that Sam would survive an encounter with the Whitechapel Murderer in her current state. She didn't know how'd she take his answer. Instead, Rin asked. "Why did she do it?"

"Sam isn't an idiot." Aizawa muttered. "Foolish and rash but not an idiot. To her, I believe, there are lines that she draws for herself with her own logic and morals. Jack the Ripper crossed one too many times. I'm absolutely not agreeing with her choice but her reaction to the Ripper's murder is somewhat understandable. Getting herself killed on a lone fool's errand, however... what would've been more logical was to rely on other heroes to capture Jack the Ripper and not solo."

Rin couldn't help the bristle of defiance for her aunt's honor. "Look at what good that's done." Rin retorted, sharply. At Aizawa's tired, leering gaze, Rin deflated. He was right. Rin frowned and nodded at his words. A face of a curly haired woman came forth into her mind, followed by a lanky, pale professor looking man. "I know someone who recited a poem about a man. He was a good man, saved so many and endured, so much. People thought they could act against them without much cost because of his goodness and his code of rules. They never questioned why he had those rules in the first place.

'Demons run when a good man goes to war

Night will fall and drown the sun

When a good man goes to war

Friendship dies and true love lies

Night will fall and the dark will rise

When a good man goes to war

Demons run, but count the cost

The battle's won, but the child is lost'."

Rin frowned, harder as she thought about the madman and his little blue box with the companions that he always left behind. Why Sam was doing it wasn't her true question. Rin's true question would be why was she leaving Rin. Taking a risk that could result Rin loosing her when Sam swore to never leave her. Wasn't that is what she's doing that now? Taking the bait and running into the jaws of a trap laid out just for her? By an infamous psychopathic murderer?

Aizawa inclined his head but didn't respond, right away. "I think there could be some truth to that."

"She's clever." Rin muttered to herself. "She has a plan, Sam's had all week to plan." A firm hand landed on Rin's shoulder, jolting her out of her panicked rambling. However, stress had already sank it's teeth deep in her mind.

"I think her main concern is keeping James away from her trail, not her confrontation with Jack the Ripper."

"She should be worried about the Ripper."

"Yeah, she should." Her sensei agreed and his gaze turned up to the darkening sky. "Your mother is probably looking for you."

Rin sighed, bitter bitting her words. "Yeah, your right." She looked up to the sky as well. Sam better make it back in one piece. "Thank you, sensei."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

James slammed the file on the table with a wordless snarl. "Damnit!" He snapped. Sam was nowhere. She wasn't in any of the hospitals that they searched. Nowhere around anywhere that she normally frequented. "Where the hell is she?!"

"Calm down."

"Don't tell me to calm down, Timothy!"

"Calm down, we'll get her."

James cursed but something on the wall caught his eye. A newspaper clipping that he had framed. Sam and him had captured a big time mob boss. They had only managed to capture him due an informant. James scowled. An underground doctor with a quirk to accelerate healing to an outstanding degree but he was a dishonored doctor who served underneath the table to villains. At a higher price of course.

Ex-doctor John Smith became an informant for James after his old hospital was raided. The doctor had brokered a deal with James. James would grant his freedom and turn a blind eye to his underground hospital and he would slip information back to James. Nothing huge unless directly asked. Small things that ensured his safety with both parties. He'd do anything if paid enough. The thing that influenced James' decision the most was that the doctor tried to give back to the community when he could. Healing the needy as cliche as it was, however that's how James and Sam uncovered the doctor in the first place. During his spontaneous acts of charity.

Sam might have had enough trust in the doctor to heal her and plenty of money to seal his lips. James growled, pulling out his phone. Ever since, the bust on the hospital. The doctor chose a more sporadic option. Popping up his hospital wherever it was needed by higher paying clients while he had a clinic ran by a partner but he was rarely stationed at the clinic. He was after all, a busy man.

"Tim, we're leaving." James told his fiancée. "We need to act fast if we want to catch Sam." James put the phone to his ears and looked out the window to the nearly set sun.


End file.
